Guardian Angel
by xiphux
Summary: Shinji and Asuka get into a fight, and Shinji is injured. Rei starts to show concern and other emotional changes... ShinjixRei
1. Action

His face hurt.  
  
Then again, getting punched in the face has a tendency to do that.  
  
Shinji sighed as he pulled the bag of ice away from his face. Yep. Still had some ice left. He carefully held the bag against his tender cheek again, and looked back up at the ceiling from his prone position on the floor.  
  
He was bored. Thinking wasn't helping him, and there wasn't anything on TV. The only thing he had left to do was listen to his SDAT – and even so, he had heard track 25 many times before. But he turned the music on anyway – after all, he couldn't go anywhere with this bag on his face.  
  
Shinji drifted away to the gentle sounds of the music. He slept relatively peacefully... until he heard a noise from outside of his earphones.  
  
Pulling them out, he tilted his head up to listen. He heard someone walking around, followed by the distinct sound of a beer can. There was no doubt in his mind who it was as he put his head on the floor again.  
  
"Hey... is anyone here?" he heard her call out.  
  
"I'm here, Misato-san."  
  
"Ah, hey Shinji," she responded as she continued to walk around the kitchen, obviously occupied with something. "Where's Asuka?"  
  
He paused for a second at the mention of her name. "Uh... she went to Hikari's house after school today."  
  
Misato walked into the room, with a packet of papers in her hand. "Well, next time you see h-" She dropped off when she saw Shinji's predicament.  
  
Shinji raised an eyebrow as Misato came and kneeled beside his spot on the floor. "What happened?" she asked, quite concerned.  
  
"Nothing bad."  
  
"Here, let me see," she said as she slowly moved his hand and the ice bag away. As the injury came into view, she winced involuntarily.  
  
"See? It's not that bad."  
  
She scowled angrily. "Not bad?! You've got a big gash in your cheek, Shinji. Not to mention the fact that the skin around it is bruised to hell." She paused, and examined the rest of him. "And you've got minor injuries all over your arms." She looked closer at the small cuts on his arms. They looks like lots of small gashes, like...  
  
Misato swallowed, and felt her gut wrench. They were nail marks.  
  
"Shinji..." she whispered quietly. "Was this..."  
  
Shinji closed his eyes, and re-applied the ice. "Don't blame her, Misato. It wasn't really her fault; it was mine."  
  
He heard a few footsteps, and then saw Misato come back with a first aid kit. "Misato-san... you don't have to-"  
  
"Yes, I do." Misato said, in a tone that indicated finality. 'I feel like I'm your mother, and I'll be damned if I let you suffer like this,' she told herself.  
  
It was silent in the room for a few minutes, as Shinji lied on the floor and Misato applied antiseptic and bandages to his wounds. The silence made Shinji nervous; he knew he wasn't getting past this one with a simple apology.  
  
Finally, the tension shattered. "What happened?" Misato asked, without looking up from her task.  
  
"Misato-san... it wasn't h-"  
  
"I don't care if it's her fault or not! I want to hear what the hell happened!"  
  
If Shinji hadn't detected the concern in that outburst, he probably would have run in fright. "It..." He paused for a little bit to take a couple deep breaths to relax himself. "It was after school had finished...  
  
]|[  
  
Asuka and Shinji headed out of the school. As they walked, Shinji looked at the ground, obviously concentrating on something.  
  
"A-Asuka..."  
  
She paused and turned around. "What is it?"  
  
"I.. uh... well, I w-was wondering..." He nervously fiddled with his bookbag.  
  
"Wondering...?" she repeated, obviously indicating that he had better continue.  
  
He slowly looked up... but the moment his eyes reached her deep blue ones, they darted back to the ground again. "Well... I... um.... was wondering... i-if you... uh..."  
  
Asuka put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot. "Come on, you idiot! We don't have all day to stand around here," she said irritably.  
  
"I... er... was... wondering if... you... um.. would... grm trm trm drms wrm mm," he finally mumbled.  
  
"SPEAK LOUDER!!!" she shouted in his face.  
  
"gotothedancewithme," he finally got out.  
  
Asuka paused. "Go to... dance... you..." she repeated, her eyes widening at him.  
  
'She hasn't said no. She hasn't said no. There's a chance. Yes. Please please please pleasepleaseplease...' Shinji thought, awaiting an answer nervously but eagerly.  
  
Her reaction was, unfortunately, one of the few "worst case scenarios" he had not predicted.  
  
Asuka fell down onto the grass, laughing her ass off. "HAHAHAAHA!!!!! YOU... YOU... HAHAHAAHAHAA..." she shouted as she rolled on the grass and kicked her feet. She began to draw the attention of the few students who were still within hearing range.  
  
Shinji clenched his fist and sighed as he watched her. He tried as hard as he could not to react.  
  
She hit her chest a couple times, and brushed a couple tears of laughter away. She finally managed to stop shouting, and tried to talk between frantic breaths and small laughs. "... you... you... dance... wimp..." But she lost control again. "HAHAHA!!! OH MY GOD!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!""  
  
Inside, Shinji raged. This was most definitely worse than her usual poor treatment of him. Though he would never raise a hand against her (or anyone, for that matter), he still was pretty pissed. 'How could she embarrass me like this? Of all the ways to say no! Not that I was expecting a yes... Wow, do I feel dumb...' His head filled with particularly dark and violent thoughts, aimed towards a certain roommate of his.  
  
He picked up his school bag, and walked past the giggling form on the grass. Itching for a release of his temper, he passingly said the first thoughts running through his mind – unfortunately, not the best choice.  
  
"Damn it. I don't see why I even bothered asking you, you fucking bitch. Why don't you go run home to your fucking parents in Germany or something," he muttered under his breath, obviously trying to vent without Asuka noticing. Unfortunately, Shinji underestimated the female sense of hearing.  
  
The laughter died in an instant. He froze in position when he heard the sudden change in mood. Shinji heard rustling, and footsteps heading towards himself.  
  
He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. 'I did something wrong again, didn't I?' he asked himself mentally.  
  
Shinji felt an iron grip on his shoulder, and himself being spun around. For a second, he saw Asuka's face, and nothing would ever make him forget it. Her mouth was turned into a snarl, and she definitely looked tortured – worse than any reaction she had before. The tears of mirth in her eyes were now replaced with tears of anger and sadness. The expression was so painful, it hurt his heart to see it...  
  
That is, until the fist hit him an instant later. He felt a sharp pain along with the dull pain of the fist. As he watched, he saw some of his blood go flying in the direction his head was forced. He stumbled back, and another punch hit his face.  
  
"FUCK YOU!!" Asuka screamed.  
  
A particularly hard kick to the chest knocked the wind out of him, and he gasped and dropped to his knees. Shinji sensed various other damage being done to his body, but by this point he was disoriented and in too much pain to remember exactly what happened. Although his memory was hazy, he couldn't forget the sound of Asuka's pained screaming...  
  
At some point the shouts and strikes stopped, and by the time Shinji's head had cleared, Asuka was gone.  
  
]|[  
  
"See? It's my fault, not hers," Shinji said quietly.  
  
Misato blinked a couple times. This was not the sort of stuff that was supposed to happen. Sure, they piloted Evas and held the fate of the world in their hands. They were supposed to fight the angels. Not each other...  
  
Misato sighed. "Shinji... though I can't say what you did was right, I can understand your reaction. It was particularly... cruel... for her to act that way, and she shouldn't have..."  
  
She finally finished with his arms, and moved to cover the largest gash on his cheek. "Kami-sama... it was probably a ring that did this, right?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
She put antiseptic on the wound, and they both winced as he hissed in pain. "This wound is kind of ragged... I think a little of the skin's even missing. So... uh... the wound's not going to heal very well, and it'll leave a big scar on your face," she told him sadly.  
  
One side of Shinji's mouth turned up into a slight smile. "I figured as much. At least now I'll have a permanent reminder not to cross that girl again," he said, with a small chuckle.  
  
Misato also had a tiny smile. "You know, you're taking this surprisingly well. All things considered."  
  
He shrugged. "It just seems kind of odd to me that she'd react like that to what I said. It seems a bit... out of proportion."  
  
Her smile faded, and her eyes drifted away from him. "Asuka's had a pretty... um... rough time with her parents. Uh... her father left her mother when she was very young. Soon afterward, her mother had to participate in a sync test. Things went... bad... and it left her mentally damaged. Her mother stayed in a hospital, because she was insane... and she eventually committed suicide."  
  
Shinji's mood dropped immediately. "Oh god... I'm so sorry... I didn't know... I shouldn't have said... " His eyes began to fill with tears.  
  
"Hey, hey," she said, patting his shoulder. "Don't get like that. I think that after that, you deserve a break. Take it easy and don't worry about it; we'll deal with this later. OK?" She was in her carefree mode again.  
  
Shinji's eyes drifted downward. "Yeah... " he responded. She didn't seem to be able to cheer him up.  
  
"Do you want something to drink?" she asked as she got up and headed back towards the kitchen.  
  
"No thanks... I think I'll just lie down for a while..."  
  
Shinji slowly made his way down the hall towards his room. He stopped however, when he reached Asuka's door. With his hand, he idly traced the English letters on her nameplate. Slowly, he shut his eyes and leaned forward until his head was resting against the door.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Asuka..." he whispered, even though he knew the room was empty. He waited a few more minutes, and then slowly eased the door open a little so he could peek in.  
  
Oh crap.  
  
"Misato!"  
  
]|[  
  
Misato heard Shinji's worried shout, and immediately dropped what she was doing in the kitchen. She ran up to a frantic Shinji.  
  
"What? Whatwhatwhat?" she asked, still catching her breath after running.  
  
He pushed the door open. "Most of her stuff is gone," he said, gazing blankly at the empty closets that used to be filled with clothes.  
  
She paused for a minute. "Wait... didn't you say she was at Hikari's?"  
  
"I'm not sure. When I could think clearly again, she was gone. I don't know where she is."  
  
Misato stood for a minute in thought. "Well, that's the most likely place she'd go, besides out of the city. I'll call them anyway," she said as she turned around and headed to the phone.  
  
Shinji looked again at that empty bed. 'Please Asuka... I hope you're safe...' He was pulled out of his thoughts by voices, and tuned into the half of the phone conversation that he could hear.  
  
"Hi, this is Misato Katsuragi, Shinji and Asuka's guardian... uh-huh... is Asuka there?... um... yeah... yeah... I know... OK, that's good... yeah, I think that would be best... OK, I understand... yeah... thanks a lot... ja."  
  
"I take it she's over at Hikari's?" he asked her as she came back.  
  
"Yeah... that was Hikari herself, actually. She said Asuka sounded extremely distressed and had her stuff with her. They talked, and she's letting her stay there. We decided it would be best if you two were separated for a while. But Hikari doesn't think she'll be able to make Asuka go to school or do anything."  
  
Shinji didn't know whether to be glad or disappointed. He wouldn't have to deal with her in school, especially after that fight... but then again, he wouldn't be able to see her – period.  
  
Not that there was really anything he could do about it.  
  
He decided to try and get some sleep, and worry about it tomorrow...  
  
]|[  
  
He made a valiant effort to sleep. Too bad it didn't mean a damn thing; he was fretting all night about his fight with Asuka, and didn't get nearly enough sleep to function well.  
  
Shinji rubbed at his eyes as he trudged down the street towards school.  
  
Alone.  
  
He decided to take the big irritating bandage off before he went to school. The gash may have been uglier, but it was less obvious than that big white clump of cotton.  
  
He wandered through the halls towards his classroom. Some people gave greetings or inquired about the wound. He was too tired to respond to them. He vaguely remembered Hikari watching him with a strange expression as he entered the room. He was too tired to really care. Dropping his stuff and sitting in his seat, Shinji rested his head on his palm and stared at nothing in particular. Time passed, and a few classes passed. He was too tired to keep track.  
  
"Pilot Ikari. Pilot Ikari. Pilot Ikari... Pilot Ikari..."  
  
A voice calling him pulled him out of his stupor after several tries. "Huh? Huh? What?" he asked, glancing around confusedly. His gaze finally settled on the owner of the voice.  
  
It was Rei. And she was speaking to him of her free will. This was new.  
  
"Huh? What is it, Ayanami?" he asked, trying his best to focus.  
  
"Who did this to you?"  
  
"Huh? Did what?"  
  
"Your wound. Who caused it?"  
  
He blinked a couple times. "It's nothing, Rei. Don't worry about it."  
  
To Shinji's surprise, Rei reached up and cradled the side of his face in one hand. She gently stroked the normal skin under the gash with her thumb. "This is a serious wound. I wish to know who did it."  
  
Shinji, however, was really in no position to answer any questions. He was afraid that if he blushed any more, his head would explode. She... she... she was... was...  
  
"Pilot Ikari. Are you ill? Your body temperature has risen significantly, and you are having obvious trouble breathing. If you are unwell, I can request for you to be taken back to your apartment."  
  
"Uh... er... um... no, that's ok..."  
  
Rei's head tilted slightly. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, in a strange expression (at least, for Rei). Shinji observed that she looked almost... expectant... of his answer to her query. This was also new for her. Why was she doing this? Was it out of... concern?  
  
Did Shinji really care at the moment? Not really. She was touching his face like that, and nothing else mattered. He was in heaven.  
  
Rei paused, raised one eyebrow, and pulled her hand away, shattering the moment. She settled back into the emotionless facade. "I will ask once again, Pilot Ikari. Who caused this injury?"  
  
He stared into those red eyes. So red. So deep. He stared, hypnotized. And for some reason, felt comfort. Somehow he felt the urge to tell her the truth.  
  
"Asuka and I... we got into... um... we got into a particularly bad fight..." his eyes drifted away from hers as he recalled the battle, and the sadness afterwards...  
  
"I see."  
  
He was pulled back to her eyes by that simple statement. But now, her eyes were focused on something else. Rather, they were focused on nothing in particular. And... she narrowed her eyes slightly. Almost, but not quite a glare.  
  
It was unsettling, to say the least.  
  
After a moment, she focused back on him. Her face was expressionless once again, and it made Shinji wonder if he had even seen it in the first place. "T-.... Thank you for your assistance, Pilot Ikari." With that last statement, she turned and walked away. To Shinji's surprise, however, she went to her desk, gathered her things, and left the room.  
  
He blinked.  
  
Where the heck was she going now?  
  
-TBC  
  
TT  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	2. Reaction

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.....................  
  
The phone rang on Misato's office desk, as she sat slumped in her chair.  
  
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................  
  
She snored right through it.  
  
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................  
  
The answering machine turned on, and the speaker began to spit out its prerecorded message.  
  
CLICK "Hey, this is Misato Katsuragi's office. I'm not here right now, so why don't you leave a message and I'll get back to you, OK? Ja!" BEEP  
  
"Major. I wish to speak with you about something important. Contact me when you are available." CLICK  
  
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ....................  
  
]|[  
  
Misato wasn't the only one sleeping.  
  
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............  
  
Shinji's face was resting on his keyboard. His snores were almost inaudible.  
  
Almost.  
  
"Mister Ikari. Mister Ikari!"  
  
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...............  
  
A dusty eraser hit him rather forcefully. He coughed a bit in his sleep and turned to face the other direction.  
  
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz............  
  
The teacher scowled. It was unacceptable to be interrupting his lecture on Second Impact. He looked for the next convenient object to throw....  
  
Ah, there.  
  
The teacher raised the notebook, and hefted it at the unsuspecting Ikari with a slight smirk. This would surely be interesting....  
  
]|[  
  
CRUNCH  
  
Asuka blinked, and looked down at the broken video game controller in her hands. "Scheisse, there goes the other one. Hikari's gonna kill me..."  
  
She idly tossed the broken plastic to the side, stood, and stretched. "Damn it, it's so boring here. There's nothing to do here... but then again, it's better than school..."  
  
As if answering her call, the doorbell rang on cue. A pause. Again. A pause. Again. A pause. Knocking. A pause. Knocking...  
  
"There's no one else here, is there...?" Her fists clenched as the knocking continued. "ALL RIGHT, SHUT THE HELL UP!!!! I'LL GET THE DAMN DOOR!!!" she screamed at no one in particular.  
  
She stomped over to the door. "SHUT UP, I GOT IT!!!!" she shouted through the door at the visitor. It seemed to have an effect, as the person stopped knocking.  
  
Asuka grumbled as she fumbled with the door. "Stupid... idiots... shit..." Finally, she was able to pull the damned thing open.  
  
She blinked once at the visitor. Rei blinked back.  
  
Without a second thought, she made sure to slam the door in her face...  
  
]|[  
  
SLAM  
  
That hurt. Shinji blinked, and looked at the door in front of him. Oh yeah. He was supposed to open it first.  
  
The students began to laugh again. Or rather, they had never stopped. They started when the relatively thick notebook knocked him out of his chair, and out of his slumber. Then they saw the obvious keyboard impression in his face, and laughed harder. And now this.  
  
Normally he would be blushing at the embarassment, but today he was just too tired. 'Mental note: get some damned sleep,' he told himself.  
  
Finally through much effort, he was able to make his way out of the room, and grab a couple buckets. He heard the laughter die out, and he assumed the teacher was continuing his lecture.  
  
Not that anyone really listened to that guy.  
  
Shinji sighed. He wondered how Asuka was doing. He wondered where Rei had gone off to. He wondered...  
  
]|[  
  
Asuka froze in her tracks. As soon as she had turned around, the knocking started again. This time it was incessant. She scowled, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.  
  
"This is not my house. Must not break anything. Hikari's house. Don't... break... Hikari's... stuff..." she told herself, as she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.  
  
Furiously, she spun around and yanked the door open. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?!" she screamed at Rei.  
  
Rei's arm was still raised in a knocking position. She blinked once, and lowered her arm back to her side. "I wish to speak with you. The Major told me that I would be able to find you here, at class representative Horaki's residence."  
  
Asuka scowled. "Yeah? OK, so what does NERV want now?"  
  
"I did not come to speak about NERV business."  
  
Asuka paused, and blinked. "You... weren't ordered to come here...?"  
  
"No."  
  
"You... are here of your own will."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"To talk to me."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"About something other than NERV business."  
  
"Yes. Is this a particularly hard concept for you to grasp, Pilot Soryu?" asked Rei, in a completely innocent manner, as she tilted her head slightly. There was no trace of sarcasm or insult in her voice.  
  
Asuka squinted at the figure in front of her. "You ARE Rei, right? First Child? Wondergirl? A doll? No emotions? Takes orders without question from her beloved commander? You are, right?"  
  
Rei paused for a second, and blinked at her. She actually seemed to be considering her response. "Yes, I am the First Child. But no, I am not a doll."  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"No, I am not."  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"No, I am not.  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"No, I am not."  
  
Asuka sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. She put her hands on her hips and looked at the blue-haired girl in an arrogant manner, with a small smirk. "OK, what do you want?"  
  
"I wish to speak with you about Pilot Ikari."  
  
The arrogant expression on her face dropped. She looked down for a second as she thought, and seemed focused on something invisible to everyone else.  
  
Suddenly, she snapped back to reality, a bit more aggressive than before. "Why?! Did he tell you to come here?!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
"To speak with you. May I enter?" Rei asked, gesturing to the area behind Asuka.  
  
Seeing as her tone indicated there was really no more room for argument, Asuka sighed, glanced behind herself, and then turned back. "No. It's not my house. We can talk while we walk or something." She smirked. "Besides, I don't think Hikari would want a doll like you in her house."  
  
"I am not a doll."  
  
"Yeah, whatever you say," the red-haired girl said, pulling the door shut. "Come on, Wondergirl."  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji gave a sigh of relief as the dismissal bell sounded. This one was probably one for the books; he had gone outside to hold buckets at least three times today. It was a new personal record.  
  
He trudged down the hallway, holding his bookbag. People pretty much got the idea and stayed out of his way.  
  
That is, except for a certain duo.  
  
By the clamor, he could tell that they were rapidly approaching. They were around him and talking before he knew it.  
  
"Yo, Shinji, what's up, man?"  
  
Kensuke adjusted his glasses slightly, and peered through them at Shinji. "Yeah, man, you look like shit today."  
  
"Not to mention you were acting like shit all day," Touji continued. "Was Asuka keepin' you up all night?" he asked, which elicited a chuckle from the two oblivious friends.  
  
Shinji stopped walking for a second and frowned, causing the other two to stop and backtrack a few steps. "Not exactly," he said as he continued out of the school.  
  
"Well, if you want to talk about it, we're here," Touji mentioned, a bit more seriously. "Like why you have a big fuckin' gash on your face."  
  
"It's nothing, really..."  
  
"We're not really trying to pressure you, Shinji," Kensuke said, "but we're concerned, and it is good to talk to somebody if something's bothering you."  
  
Shinji sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Come with me to the apartment, I guess..."  
  
"Will Misato be there?" Touji asked brightly.  
  
"No, she'll probably still be at work."  
  
"Damn!"  
  
]|[  
  
It was a sight that would have made Shinji freak out and cry. Whether they would be tears of joy or pain, well... who knows.  
  
Asuka and Rei were walking. They were walking next to each other. And they were not heading towards NERV. They were having a casual conversation. At least... what passed as casual for those two.  
  
"OK. Now that you've dragged me out walking with you, what do you want?"  
  
"I believe you were the one who requested that we go for a walk."  
  
"Oh, shut up. What do you want, Wondergirl?"  
  
"I wish to know why you injured Pilot Ikari as you did."  
  
Asuka paused a moment, thinking, before continuing. "He was being an asshole, and he said something mean. Very mean..." she said, drifting off slightly.  
  
"From what I have observed of Pilot Ikari's behavior, I do not think it would be characteristic of him to do something like that. Are you sure he was not somehow provoked into it?"  
  
The red-haired German girl had to stop staring and scratch her head. That was the most she had ever heard the girl say at once. Then again, this was also the first time Rei had tried to initiate and hold a normal conversation.  
  
"Um... no, I didn't do anything to him..."  
  
"Are you certain, Pilot Soryu?"  
  
Asuka turned and half-lidded her eyes, giving the girl a tired look. "Yes, I'm pretty damn certain."  
  
Rei paused a moment, and seemed to think. "Perhaps there was something that was viewed differently from his viewpoint."  
  
"What, did you come here to accuse me of a bunch of stuff?" Asuka asked angrily, bristling at the girl's previous comment.  
  
"No, Pilot Soryu. I am merely trying to reconstruct the events and the reasons behind them. I have not accused you of anything; you are just accusing yourself in you mind."  
  
"I never expected to hear that kind of psychological crap from you, of all people."  
  
Rei ignored her last comment. "Second Child. I would like for you to explain to me what happened."  
  
"Why are you so interested in what happened, huh?"  
  
"I am... curious?... as to what happened during that time. It is obvious what you are doing; please stop trying to avoid the question."  
  
Asuka sighed. "All right, all right!" She paused to think for a little bit, trying to recall yesterday. Not that she had to try very hard. "We were walking back from the school... and Shinji was trying to ask me something, but he kept mumbling and I had to prod him to get it out of him... so finally, the little wimp asked me out!" she exclaimed indignantly.  
  
Rei blinked. "Today you asked me to go out with you for a walk. You did not seem to have a problem then..."  
  
The German girl stared. Her sweatdrop grew so large that it pulled her down to the ground.  
  
Her blue-haired peer looked down at her. "Are you injured, Pilot Soryu?"  
  
Asuka struggled, but finally got up. She brushed herself off, and took a deep breath to calm herself.  
  
"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" she shouted.  
  
"No."  
  
"Out! Ask out! On a date! Not just 'out!' In this case out to a dance, but it's the same thing! Out?! Date?! Get it?!"  
  
"I do not understand," Rei replied, tilting her head as she tried to comprehend the Second Child's words.  
  
"You need to get out more," Asuka sighed. "A date. When a guy and a girl go somewhere and do some stuff together. Like eat. And watch a movie. And walk and talk and that kind of thing. Get it?!"  
  
"I still do not understand. How is it different from two friends going to a restaurant?"  
  
"Not friends. Date. Romantic. Love. That sort of thing. Is any of this getting through that thick skull of yours?!"  
  
"My skull is the same average thickness as everyone else's."  
  
Asuka slapped a hand onto her forehead. "All right," she declared, exasperated. "We'll do this the SLOW way."  
  
Rei blinked.  
  
"OK, Wondergirl. You know what a marriage is, right?! Wedding?! Sound familiar?!"  
  
"Yes, I am aware of the concept."  
  
"GOOD!" Asuka said sardonically. "Now... those two people love each other enough to get married, right?!"  
  
"I am not certain because I have never been married. I would assume so."  
  
"Of course you haven't been married yet, you nitwit! We're too young! Anyway... they love each other, right? How do you think they figured that out?"  
  
"Coincidence allowed them to be in the same place at the same time, and caused them to be introduced to each other."  
  
"Uh... right... well, they didn't know that instant that they were meant to be together, right?"  
  
"Of course not. That would be impossible."  
  
"Good, you actually can learn," Asuka mumbled sarcastically. "So how do they find out that they love each other? They go on dates. The more dates they go on, they more they like each other. Of course, they could go on dates with other people than each other. But usually they won't like it as much, because they don't like that person. They'll like going on dates with the person they like. Get it now, Wondergirl?"  
  
Rei's head tilted. "Though it is a strange concept, I believe I understand what you are trying to convey. Essentially, two people go out on a date to discover if they like or love each other – or not."  
  
Asuka blinked and scratched her temple. "Yeah, pretty much... "  
  
"So Pilot Ikari... asked you out on a date. Correct?" she asked, frowning slightly.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"What was your response?"  
  
"I... uh... fell on the ground and laughed..." Asuka replied, blushing slightly.  
  
"I do not understand why the concept would be humorous. You are not laughing now."  
  
"Well it was funny at the time!" she snapped back.  
  
"Would you explain why it was at the time, but not now?"  
  
"Uh... well, I guess it was funny because he was the last person I expected to be asking me. Cause he's a wimp. And it was funny because he actually thought I might possibly have wanted to go."  
  
"I do not understand why you would not want to go."  
  
Asuka stared at Rei for a bit. "Because an idiot, and a wimp, and a pervert, and a jerk!"  
  
"Pilot Ikari is not unintelligent. What is a wimp?"  
  
"Wimp. Wuss. Weakling. Pathetic. No willpower. Etc. etc."  
  
"Pilot Ikari is also not a... 'wimp.' He would not have defeated as many angels as he has if he was. What is a pervert? I have never had a use for the term."  
  
"Er... someone who likes to do disgusting sexual things... like peek at girls and touch girls without their consent and sick stuff like that. All boys are perverts."  
  
"I do not believe that Pilot Ikari would be one to do those sorts of things. And males are only... 'perverts'... because of their development into and out of adolescence. Males reach the peak of their sexual development as they leave adolescence. Therefore, the desire manifests itself as much as possible, and becomes the focus. It is a part of the primal urge to produce offspring, passing on your genetic code as well as prolonging the life of your species. It is a normal urge, and it does not exclude females from feeling the same thing."  
  
Blink.  
  
"Pilot Soryu. I have read your profile, and was under the impression that you are a college graduate. Certainly, you should have learned this concept already?"  
  
Asuka glared at her. "Hey. I didn't come out here to be insulted."  
  
Rei was unfazed. "Continue speaking about what happened after your reaction."  
  
She averted her eyes. "... He said something mean. Very mean. It was... about my parents. I'm... kinda sensitive when it comes to them, and I don't like it when people talk about them."  
  
"I have not had biological parents, so unfortunately, I cannot relate. However, I understand the concept that biological parents are quite close to their offspring."  
  
Asuka's eyes glazed over again. "Usually, Wondergirl... usually..."  
  
"Pilot Soryu. Did something traumatic happen with you and your parents?"  
  
"Yeah... but I don't like to talk about it..."  
  
"I... understand? Continue where you left off."  
  
"Uh... well Shinji said something about them that kind of set me off. So I... kinda... beat him up..."  
  
"... That still does not explain the large laceration on his cheek."  
  
Asuka sighed, looked down, and played around with a ring on her finger. "I hit him in the face... and this ring... cut him."  
  
]|[  
  
"Shit man, that had to have hurt," Touji said, wincing as he thought about it.  
  
"Yeah," Shinji sighed. "But she was beating the crap out of me pretty badly, so I didn't really notice the pain of the cut until afterwards..."  
  
"Damn... why'd she react that way?"  
  
"I... um... insulted her parents. I didn't learn until later that she's had a really bad history with her parents."  
  
"You're the last person I'd expect to insult her. Why'd you do it?" Kensuke asked, as he messed with his camera.  
  
"Well... I... um... asked her out-"  
  
Touji and Kensuke jumped up and screamed the same thing. "AAAAUUUGH!!! TRAITOR!!!!"  
  
He waited until they were done screaming, before giving them a tired look. "Touji? Kensuke? Sit down and shut up."  
  
They did as they were told.  
  
"But after I asked her... she fell on the ground and was laughing at me. It seemed like the funniest thing she had ever heard in her life..."  
  
"What a bitch!"  
  
"Yeah... she easily just crushed my self-esteem. And threw my feelings back in my face. It sucked."  
  
]|[  
  
"I what?!" Asuka asked incredulously.  
  
Rei repeated the same exact thing she said. "I said that by reacting in the manner that you did, you destroyed his self-esteem. He probably felt quite unworthy after that. In addition, if he wanted to ask you out on a... 'date'... then he must have had some sort of feelings for you already. It was probably painful for him to be rejected so blatantly. Therefore, he was provoked into making that comment."  
  
Asuka bristled. "So you're saying that it's all my fault?!"  
  
"No, I am not. Though I am saying that you both made errors, you are the one who is the most at fault."  
  
The redhead blinked, and then scowled. "Shit! I don't even know why I listened to you in the first place!" With that, she turned around and stomped back in the direction of Hikari's house.  
  
Rei stood for a few moments, staring at the departing form, before turning around and walking in the opposite direction.  
  
]|[  
  
"Shinji, man, don't blame yourself for this."  
  
"But I said that horrible stuff about her parents!"  
  
Touji sighed. "First of all, the stuff you said wasn't very bad. Her reaction to it was; and you had no way of knowing how she would react. Secondly – you politely asked her out. Though we still don't see why you would want to. But she was the one who reacted like a bitch first, by throwing it back at you like that. So it's not your fault; just let it go."  
  
Shinji's eyes drifted back to the floor. "Yeah... but regardless, I still feel bad for making her feel like that. Even under the circumstances."  
  
Touji stood up and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Man, you're too sensitive for your own good. Just relax and sleep on it. Don't think about it and don't worry so much."  
  
"Yeah, I guess..."  
  
"Well we've gotta go, Shinji. The photo sales business awaits us..." Touji said with a grin.  
  
Shinji chuckled. "You know, if you're caught by Hikari, or Asuka, or... anyone, then you're screwed."  
  
"Which is why we don't get caught," Kensuke said, as he pushed Touji out of the door. "Later, Shinji," they said as they left.  
  
Shinji flopped back down onto his bed, determined to get some rest.  
  
]|[  
  
Rei approached the Major's apartment purposefully. It was not quite clear to her what she had to do – but she intended to find out.  
  
-TBC  
  
TT  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	3. Comfortable

Rei knocked on the door. And waited... and waited.  
  
And there was no answer.  
  
She frowned slightly. The NERV agents had reported that the Third Child was in his residence at the moment. Rei decided to try something else; reaching up, she pushed the entry button.  
  
The door opened.  
  
Rei frowned again. If the door was unlocked, and Pilot Ikari was alone, that would mean that he was... unsafe.  
  
It seemed that she was doing a lot more frowning lately. She wondered why.  
  
As she entered the apartment, Rei made sure to shut the door and lock it. As she turned around again, she paused to recall the layout of the apartment. She had been to this apartment very few times. If the kitchen was there... and the television was there... that would mean that Pilot Ikari's room was...  
  
She walked down the hall, and stopped at the room marked "Shinji's Lovely Suite." Raising a hand, Rei prepared to knock... and then decided otherwise. Gently, she eased the door open.  
  
Pilot Ikari was asleep. It was not a very pleasant sleep.  
  
Rei quietly moved a chair next to the bed occupied by the fretting boy. She quietly sat and took out a book to occupy herself for a while...  
  
"...no ... don't..."  
  
Rei looked up. Pilot Ikari was still in his restless nightmare. Though she felt the urge to wake him up, she restrained herself – it would be better if Pilot Ikari got the rest he needed. Without too much trouble, she went back to reading her book while she filtered out the noise.  
  
"... Ayanami... please..."  
  
Rei's head snapped up. He was still asleep... and was calling for her?  
  
For some reason... because he was calling her... she felt the strong urge to comfort him... something she had never felt before. Slowly... cautiously... she reached out a slightly trembling hand towards the boy...  
  
He rolled off of the bed and hit the floor.  
  
She blinked, and pulled her hand back. Silently, she watched as Shinji slowly started to come out of his slumber. He pushed himself up, still facing the floor, and shook his head a bit to wake it up.  
  
Rei waited a moment, and then finally spoke quietly. "Are you all right?" She did not get the response she was expecting.  
  
Shinji screamed and shot up straight into the air, scared senseless. He stared with wide eyes at Rei as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
Rei found herself staring with wide eyes back at him... from across the small room. She felt herself pressed against the wall opposite the bed. The chair had tipped over. How did she get over here?  
  
She noticed that she was trying to catch her breath too, strangely.  
  
"Ayanami... what... what are you... doing... here?" Shinji gasped, as he tried to recover.  
  
Rei was in better shape than her fellow pilot, and had caught her breath already. "I came to check on your current condition."  
  
Shinji stared. She was definitely acting unusually today. "Um... ok... you didn't have to, you know..."  
  
Rei paused, and her eyes drifted down to the floor. "I... wanted to," she said, finally finding the right word.  
  
Yes, she was acting extremely unusually today. "Uh... well... let's go to the main room – at least we'll have someplace to sit."  
  
She nodded, and allowed herself to be led to the aforementioned room.  
  
"Do you want something to drink, Ayanami?"  
  
"No, I am fine.... t-... thank you."  
  
Shinji came back and kneeled across from her. They both stared at the same invisible object at the center of the table...  
  
Shinji finally took a nervous breath and tried to break the tense silence. "S-So... Ayanami... why were you so interested in my wound today?"  
  
Rei's eyes slowly drifted upwards, finally settling on his laceration. "I... do not know."  
  
Shinji blinked. This wasn't going anywhere. "OK... then... why'd you leave school so suddenly?"  
  
Her eyes dropped back to the table. "I went to speak with Pilot Soryu."  
  
Shinji blanched. "She didn't... hurt you, did she?"  
  
"No. If she had tried, I would not have allowed it."  
  
"Right..." There were a million questions he wanted to ask her... most falling along the lines of, 'How the hell would you have stopped her?"... but he decided to leave it alone for now. "Um... what did you talk to Asuka about?"  
  
"You."  
  
Shinji blinked, waiting for the rest of it. When he realized it was not coming, he thought to himself, '...now I remember why it's so hard to have a conversation with her.' He licked his dry lips and continued. "What... about me?"  
  
Rei looked into his eyes before continuing. "The events of yesterday, leading up to your injury."  
  
He sighed. "I kinda figured..." His mind raced, trying to pick a topic to bring up... until, surprisingly, Rei took care of it.  
  
"She recounted yesterday's events. She also provided arguments defending her position. However, very few of them were backed by logical reasoning."  
  
"Don't worry about it; it was my fault. I deserved it."  
  
She examined him, tilting her head slightly. "Why do you believe that you are solely responsible?"  
  
"Because I was the one that made the comment about her parents. That pissed her off. I should have known that her parents were a sensitive topic with her..."  
  
"You believe that you are responsible because you didn't make the effort to stay informed of her history, and therefore were not aware of her sensitivity to the subject. Correct?"  
  
Shinji blinked, and looked down at the table. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way..."  
  
"Your logic is flawed. You believe that you are at fault because you didn't know about Pilot Soryu's mother's death. And yet, she is not held responsible for not knowing about your mother's death. I do not understand."  
  
He fought the urge to run. "My... m-my mother?"  
  
"Yes. I know that you are aware of your mother's cause of death. You were briefed on it by the Major. I have read your pilot profile."  
  
Shinij's mind screamed at him. 'CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT CHANGE SUBJECT....' He decided it was probably a good idea to change the subject. He picked one of the hundreds of questions he wanted to ask. "Ayanami... why is it that you 'wanted' to come here?"  
  
Rei's eyes widened slightly, and then dropped back to the table.  
  
He watched her. Was she... actually... nervous?  
  
"I... I do not know," she finally responded. Her brow wrinkled slightly, as if she was contemplating something.  
  
Shinji watched her. "Is there something on your mind, Ayanami... ? A friend of mine told me that it's good to talk to someone if something's bothering you..." Inwardly, he sighed; he had finally switched things around. To his surprise, she continued to stare at the table. And... she was starting to blush slightly? And... she was fidgeting a little? Wow, he had never seen her do that before.  
  
Silence reigned for a few nervous moments.  
  
"Ikari," she finally said quietly, without mentioning his position. "There is... something... important... and... personal... that I wish to speak with you about."  
  
Shinji blinked at her, and raised an eyebrow. Personal? "Um... OK. Sure."  
  
She looked back up at him. "However, I require that this conversation be kept confidential."  
  
Shinji nodded. "Of course."  
  
Her eyes dropped back down to the table. "I am... confiding... in you because you have shown... concern for me when others have not. I believe you to be the most trustworthy person to speak with at the moment."  
  
"Um... thanks. I'll be sure to keep this secret." He watched as, surprisingly, she sighed almost inaudibly in relief.  
  
Rei's voice dropped slightly in volume. "Ikari... something is... happening... to me. I believe I may be ill."  
  
"Uh... OK... what... do you mean, Ayanami?"  
  
"I am not quite certain. I have never experienced it before. For some reason, I am beginning to have... certain... thoughts and desires."  
  
Shinji blinked. Oh god, was this-  
  
"For example, the... anxiety?... I am... feeling now when I speak to you."  
  
Shinji's blood pressure dropped as mentally sighed in relief. If this had been THAT kind of a talk, he would have had a heart attack...  
  
"And... the desire to come here that I felt earlier."  
  
He cleared his throat. "Well... uh... I can tell you that I doubt that you're ill-"  
  
"Ikari..." she interrupted, with a slight tremor in her voice. "I am... afraid. Of these sudden changes. I have never dealt with fear before, but it has manifested itself... I... don't know... what to..." She trailed off, and subconsciously seemed to put her arms around herself slightly.  
  
Shinji tentatively reached out and put his trembling hand on her shoulder, and rubbed it slightly in a reassuring manner. Rei looked up to see him smiling. "Hey, don't worry about it, Ayanami. I'll help you sort things out. OK? You don't have to be afraid," he said in a comforting voice.  
  
She looked at him for a few seconds, before dropping her eyes back to the table with a slight blush. "Hai," she said quietly. As Shinji pulled his hand away and kneeled again, Rei surprised herself by feeling... what was it... sadness? No, not quite... more like... disappointment.  
  
"Uh..." Shinji continued in a slightly wavering voice. "Well... um... what was the first feeling that you could recognize?"  
  
Rei's brow furrowed slightly in thought. "I believe it was... when... I saw your injured cheek."  
  
His eyes widened. "My... cut?" he asked.  
  
She nodded, and continued. "I had promised to protect you..."  
  
Shinji blinked. "You did?"  
  
"Hai. When we prepared to fight Ramiel, the fifth angel."  
  
He tried to remember. Wow, that was a long way back...  
  
"I believe the first thing I felt was... sadness? Because you had been hurt. Also because I had failed to keep my promise."  
  
Shinji fumbled for words. What to say, what to say...  
  
Rei continued for him. "But soon, it was replaced by... anger. At the Second Child, for causing your injury."  
  
He scratched his temple. Damn did he wish he was better with words... "Uh...."  
  
"It is strange. For some reason... recently... I have begun to feel multiple feelings. At the same time. It is... perplexing."  
  
"Well... um... why don't you try to sort out what feelings you've got at this moment?"  
  
Her eyes went directly to his, but she seemed to focus on the wall behind him in thought.  
  
Shinji stared into those red orbs. Losing himself... losing..... rational.....  
  
"I believe I am feeling... fear. Of these unknown feelings... and... worry, for your safety. Though it is slight, and only increases when the Pilot Soryu or some other threat is near. And... and..." She looked at the table again.  
  
Breaking eye contact also broke Shinji out of his haze. "And... ?"  
  
She was blushing again. "And... the... the desire to... to... be near you. Or in your presence. ...Always," she whispered tentatively. "Otherwise... I feel... lonely..."  
  
Shinji found himself blushing, too. "Well... uh..." He couldn't believe he was saying this... "Um... well, if it'll make you feel better, I can... ask Misato to let you stay here tonight. Your apartment isn't exactly... a comforting environment."  
  
Rei examined his face for a few seconds, before looking down. She nodded. "I would... like... that."  
  
Well, at least she wasn't staring at him anymore - it was a little unnerving when she did... Shinji blinked. You know... the way she was acting... somehow, it was kinda... cute. Not to mention that she was attractive to begin with...  
  
It grew silent again.  
  
So when the front door popped open, their eyes widened and they both stood suddenly.  
  
"Tadaima..." Misato said as she came into the apartment.  
  
Shinji made his way towards her, while Rei followed him.  
  
"Hey, Shin-chan. Oh!" Misato blinked. "Hi, Rei."  
  
Shinji looked down at the ground. "Misato-san... I was wondering if... maybe... Ayanami could spend the night here?" He was blushing so much, he was surprised his legs didn't collapse from a lack of blood.  
  
Misato raised an eyebrow, examining the two children. Something was... different. Somehow. She couldn't quite place her finger on it... She narrowed her eyes. "You two aren't going to... you know... ?"  
  
Shinji's eyes opened so much, he half-expected them to pop out and bounce onto the floor. "Nononononononoo! Weaweren'tgonnanowearen'tgonnadothat!" He took a breath. "No... I just think that it would be... easier... for her if perhaps she spent the night in a more... comfortable environment..."  
  
Comfortable. That was the word she was trying to place her finger on. It seemed like the two of them... were standing... closer to each other than usual. In a friendly manner, but also... in a comforting one. Shinji would normally be a little nervous in her presence, but now - they were comfortable near each other. That was what was different.  
  
Misato shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see anything wrong with it." She focused on Shinji. "I assume, young man, that I don't have to tell you to keep your hands to yourself...?"  
  
Shinji looked on the verge of a heart attack. "M-... Misato-san... y-you know I-... I-... I wouldn't do... do..." He seemed to be rapidly losing the ability to speak.  
  
Misato grinned, and mussed his hair. "Oh, lighten up, Shin-chan! I was just teasing!" She turned and headed to her room. "I've got a bunch of paperwork to do, OK, Shinji?"  
  
Shinji nodded. "OK."  
  
He turned to Rei, standing next to him... and his eyes widened as he... he noticed she was... smiling? A small smile, but a smile nonetheless. And he didn't have to ask for it. "Ayanami... you... you're..."  
  
She looked up at him, and the smile faded. "I do not understand, but... I felt... amused?... when the Major... 'teased' you. And... and... pleased... that she said yes."  
  
Shinji smiled at her. "I'm glad."  
  
She ended up staring at that smile, as he stared into her red eyes...  
  
'You know, it's gonna be trouble if we keep doing this kind of thing...' he thought, as they both seemed frozen in place. He pulled a question from his endless pile of them...  
  
"Ayanami... you said... you talked with Asuka. Um... based on what you talked about... would you be able to help me? I still have to talk to her about what happened..."  
  
She blinked, and then nodded. "Hai."  
  
]|[  
  
Ritsuko sighed as she made her way down the hallways of NERV headquarters, her footsteps echoing sharply down the lonely corridors. She idly flipped through some papers in her hand.  
  
Reports, reports, charts, test results... Nothing particularly interesting.  
  
However, her mind was focused on something else. It was focused on a certain phone call she had received from the Major not too long ago.  
  
Oh, he's gonna LOVE this one...  
  
She went up to the large double doors. 'Why do they have to make these so goddamn heavy?' she thought randomly as she pulled hard, and opened the door.  
  
Ritsuko walked through the monstrous room, towards the small desk at the center.  
  
She looked up, idly. The Systema Sephirotica. 'Why the heck is it here? We've all got it memorized, anyway...'  
  
Finally, after much walking and idle thinking, she reached the desk in the center... with the man sitting at it. He was so motionless that he almost seemed to be just a part of the desk.  
  
Dark eyes behind dark sunglasses bored into her, even from their lower position.  
  
"Doctor, your report."  
  
She blinked, and began flipping through some of the material in her hands. "Well... sync ratios are remaining pretty much constant for all three children. Maybe a maximum variation of two percent."  
  
He nodded slightly.  
  
"The... dummy plug system is almost complete. We should be ready to begin testing in a couple weeks."  
  
He nodded again.  
  
"The recovery of the MAGI system is proceeding well. We should be done cleaning out the virus and back up to full processing capability in about... six days..."  
  
He nodded again. It started to irk her slightly. Well, time to drop the big bomb.  
  
"The Major called me recently. She says that Rei and Shinji have developed quite an affinity to each other. They both plan to stay together in the Major's apartment for some amount of time."  
  
That look on his face was priceless. God DAMN did she wish she had a camera. Too bad it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.  
  
"I... see. Will this have an effect on their sync ratios?"  
  
Ritsuko tapped her jaw with her pen. "It shouldn't. In fact, it may even cause their ratios to go up. However, there is always a possibility."  
  
"I see. Keep an eye on their progress. If either one of their ratios drops... even a single percent... see to it that they are separated. Understand?"  
  
"Hai." She turned to leave. As she began to walk away, she heard one of his knuckles crack. Ritsuko grinned; he was more pissed than he let on.  
  
"Doctor?"  
  
She froze in her tracks, but did not turn.  
  
"7:30. Tonight."  
  
Ritsuko swallowed, and nodded. "Hai."  
  
'7:30... tonight...' She suppressed a shudder and left the room.  
  
Was it a shudder of revulsion or euphoria? Well... some things are better left unsaid.  
  
-TBC, I guess  
  
TT  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	4. Hands

Shinji's hand trembled. A lot. So much, in fact, that the shaking made him dial the wrong number. Again.  
  
"Dammit!" he said as he slammed the phone down again. He put his hands together in his lap, and stared at them. And that was the third try, too! Wasn't the third time a charm or some crap like that?  
  
"Ikari."  
  
He turned his attention to the person sitting next to him.  
  
"You seem to be having trouble dialing the telephone. Should I dial it for you?"  
  
Shinji sighed, and looked back down. "No, no... it's just... I'm so nervous about calling her..."  
  
Rei tentatively raised her hand halfway, paused... and then put her hand on his shoulder. She was obviously trying to imitate his gesture from earlier.  
  
They both stared at the pale hand on his shoulder.  
  
Shinji deflated. "It's... I'm just so nervous that... that I'll mess everything up again..."  
  
"Just speak calmly, and avoid angering her. That is what I was able to do. At... at least for a while..."  
  
"But that's the thing! I just can't avoid angering her. Everything I say or do pisses her off..."  
  
Rei tilted her head and frowned as she thought. "She... likes praise, and is extremely competitive. But do not talk about her past..."  
  
"I know... that's what got me here in the first place..."  
  
"I cannot think of much else that is of help to tell you... just be your gentle self... that is all. I am sorry..."  
  
Rei's head snapped up. Shinji had put his hand on her pale one. He squeezed it slightly, and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't be. Just your presence here is enough."  
  
He began to dial the phone again, this time with less trouble... probably because he subconsciously had left his hand on hers.  
  
Rei had stopped paying attention. She blushed.  
  
The only thing she could concentrate on was the softness of his hand on the back of hers...  
  
And the heat that seemed to flow between them, from that one joined point, and spread throughout her body...  
  
And how good it felt when she noticed his fingers were just long enough to begin wrapping around the sides of her hand... holding it delicately...  
  
And how everytime he subconsciously moved his fingers or thumb, the feeling of the gentle caress on her skin sent a shiver through her body...  
  
And how...  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji cleared his throat as he heard the quiet ringing tone... waiting for someone to pick up...  
  
{Hello?}  
  
"Hi... this is Shinji Ikari... uh... is Asuka there?"  
  
{Oh, hey Shinji. It's Hikari. Yeah, I'll get Asuka in a second.}  
  
Then he struggled to hear as Hikari dropped to a whisper.  
  
{Psst. I'm glad you finally called. Ever since that talk she had with Rei, Asuka's been feeling guilty... she really needs this. Thanks.}  
  
"Well... uh... it's my fault anyway, so I guess I'd just naturally try and make amends. I just hope she listens."  
  
{Uh... let me get her, hang on...}  
  
He heard a tap as the phone was set down, and it was quiet for a while.  
  
{...}  
  
That is, until he heard a shout through the telephone. It sounded like it came from across the room.  
  
{WHO?!?!}  
  
Or maybe from across the house...  
  
There was a tapping of footsteps, and then a rather obnoxious greeting.  
  
{Whaddya want, Third Child?}  
  
"Uh... hi, Asuka. I was just... um... calling to see how you were."  
  
{Well I'm doing pretty shitty, thanks to you. But at least now I have an excuse to skip school.}  
  
"Look Asuka... I'm really sorry about the other day. I didn't mean it at all, and was just blowing off steam..."  
  
{....}  
  
"It was just... just that... of all the reactions I believed you could give, I guess I just... never expected that one..."  
  
{L-}  
  
"But I still am sorry... your reaction still didn't justify my insult to you... but Misato told me afterwards about... uh... your... p-parents, and I felt so guilty..."  
  
"Regardless, that information is still kind of private... and I still don't think it's right that I know it without your permission... "  
  
"My mother... also... died. Not like yours, but... she... she was the first test subject to try and synchronize with Eva-01... and... it... absorbed her. She... vanished. And they never... never got her back again."  
  
"You're probably kind of bored listening to me... but... I just felt that... since I knew about yours, you had a right to know about mine..."  
  
{Nah, not really; being here all the time is boring, so it doesn't bother me. But... that was nice of you to share about your... mother. Thanks. You know... that's the most I've heard you say at once since I arrived in Japan.}  
  
Shinji chuckled a little. "Yeah, well... Ayanami pointed out that I knew about your mom, but you didn't know about mine. So I guess that was the first time I felt the need to tell something like that."  
  
{Yeah, what's up with Wondergirl, anyway? Is she acting... weird... at all?}  
  
Shinji remembered his promise to keep quiet. "Uh... I don't really know. Haven't really noticed much... but Misato-san and I let her stay here for a while."  
  
The explosion forced him to hold the phone a small distance away from his ear.  
  
{WHAT?!? SHE'S STAYING THERE?! Why the hell is she staying with us... well, you... all of a sudden?!}  
  
He returned to 'timid' mode. "Uh... well... I just thought that... it would be a better environment for her. At least, better than her apartment."  
  
Asuka immediately suspected something.  
  
{Wait... when were you at her apartment...?}  
  
"Oh... a while ago – before you came – I just went to drop off her NERV ID. Nothing, really." He conveniently left out the rest of the... details.  
  
{Hmm.... you aren't taking advantage of my absence to screw her, are you?}  
  
"What?! Why would I-... what.... I wouldn't do...."  
  
{Calm down, baka. I was just playing around.}  
  
Shinji let out a sigh of relief.  
  
{I heard that you have a... uh... big... on your face... y'know... umm... sorry... }  
  
"Don't worry about it. It'll leave a scar, but it's not bad."  
  
{Yeah, well, I always like to mark my property.}  
  
"What?!"  
  
{Nothing, just kidding.}  
  
She sighed, and took on a bored tone.  
  
{Well, I guess I might as well forgive you... on one condition.}  
  
"What's that?"  
  
{Don't tell Misato about this conversation. I'm gonna stay a while longer.}  
  
He heard a quiet "Heeeyyy....!" from Hikari in the background.  
  
"Why are you staying?"  
  
{I don't really feel like going to school yet.}  
  
Shinji suspected it was really because Ayanami was staying over, but decided not to bring it up.  
  
"All right. I can keep it secret for a while. But Misato's gonna get on my case about making up with you, so I can't do it for too long."  
  
{OK. Whatever. Later, Shinji.}  
  
He heard the obnoxious dial tone, and hung the phone up.  
  
"Well, that wasn't too bad," he said to no one in particular.  
  
Shinji turned, about to say something to Rei, but stopped.  
  
He looked down.  
  
Apparently, sometime during the phone call, she had flipped her hand over. So now they were holding hands like... like... like you were supposed to. He hadn't even noticed that he left his hand there in the first place.  
  
He couldn't help but compare their skin tones. Rei's was so pale... so light... compared to his slight tan. It was like one of those... those... dolls made out of porcelain or something.  
  
He looked back up at her with questioning eyes.  
  
She watched their hands for a few seconds, and then spoke. "I believe that I am... enjoying this, Ikari-kun. I find it... it... pleasurable? Could we... stay like this for a little longer?"  
  
Shinji blinked at her. He looked at their joined hands. Then he looked up at her and smiled. "As long as you'd like, Ayanami."  
  
]|[  
  
"Asuka, you're such a freeloader."  
  
Asuka turned to Hikari. "Hey! I'm you're friend, aren't I?"  
  
She nodded. "Yeah... but you're also a freeloader."  
  
"Feh."  
  
"So I guess you made up with Shinji, right?"  
  
Asuka tipped backwards from her sitting position, until she was lying on the floor. "Yeah. Kinda."  
  
"What was with that screaming? I came back to her you shouting about some 'she.'"  
  
"Oh." Asuka shrugged. "Nothing. Just Wondergirl's staying over there for a while."  
  
"Wondergirl? You mean Rei?"  
  
"Yeah. Wondergirl."  
  
Hikari rolled her eyes. "Right." It remained silent for a while, until Hikari smirked. "You're not jealous?"  
  
"I knew you were gonna ask that question," Asuka sighed.  
  
"Then why didn't you try and change the subject?"  
  
Shrug.  
  
"So... are you jealous?" Hikari repeated.  
  
Asuka shut her eyes. "Nope. Why should I be?"  
  
"Well, why shouldn't you be?"  
  
"Because he's a jerk. And a pervert. And a wimp."  
  
"I though you forgave him already."  
  
"... OK, he's not a jerk. But he's still a wimp and a pervert."  
  
"No, he's not. You're just making excuses. So, what about him?"  
  
"... Well, what about Touji?"  
  
Hikari blushed and began to say something, but then shut her mouth. "Look, you've already asked me about everything there possibly is to know about him, just to avoid answering questions. I'm not going to fall for it again."  
  
"Fine, fine, fine." Asuka paused for a second. "Shinji... well... he's... a nice kid. I guess. I can't believe I just said that."  
  
Hikari giggled.  
  
"But, I mean... he's such a... such a... wimp! That's the word that describes him best!"  
  
"Well, maybe if you were nice to him for a change, he wouldn't be afraid of you all the time!"  
  
"..."  
  
The seed was planted. That was enough for Hikari. "Well I'm tired, so I'm going to go to sleep," she said as she got into bed and turned off the lights. Soon, her breathing became shallow but regular, as she fell asleep.  
  
Asuka remained where she was on the floor. "Shit. She did that on purpose, didn't she?"  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji had lost track of time. He didn't know how long he had been sitting in that position.  
  
Not that he really cared.  
  
He had stared at Rei's hand in his for so long that he figured he could draw it from memory, down to every last tiny wrinkle visible to the human eye.  
  
But, of course, a picture never lived up to the real thing.  
  
Really holding her hand.  
  
The feel of it.  
  
Warm. Delicate-  
  
"Aww, isn't that cute!"  
  
They turned to see Misato enter the room with a beer, intent on turning on the TV. Reflexively, they pulled their hands back to themselves.  
  
"Oh, no, don't stop on my account!" she teased, with a big grin.  
  
Shinji blushed like a tomato. Misato was surprised to see that even Rei had a little color on her cheeks.  
  
She relaxed and grabbed the remote. Soon, the three were watching TV casually.  
  
Misato watched them furtively with quick glances from the corner of her eyes. It was amusing, really. They would glance at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. The hands that had previously held the other's were twitching every now and then, as their owners were just itching to reach over and hold hands again.  
  
She smiled; she remembered that kind of thing when she was younger also. Well, not really; usually she'd just skip all that slow stuff and get to the-  
  
Um. But she did remember how it was to feel that way.  
  
Pen-Pen wandered across the room in front of the children. He had a towel, and it was obvious he was just in the bath. On his way across, he stopped in front of Rei and examined the new presence.  
  
Rei stared back.  
  
Misato was afraid they were trying to stare each other down, until she saw Rei quietly reach out and pet Pen-Pen affectionately.  
  
Pen-Pen gave an approving "Wark!" and continued to his fridge.  
  
Misato smiled. Well, at least the girl was getting better in that aspect - interaction with others. She even saw one corner of Rei's mouth pull up into a slight smile... but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. Misato hoped she wasn't seeing things.  
  
The two children were still fidgeting. If not the same, then more than before. Misato sighed inwardly; if she didn't leave those two alone soon, there would be so much pent up energy that they'd end up screwing at the first chance they got.  
  
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Misato registered the fact that not everyone is like her. That thought, as always, was quickly forgotten.  
  
She slowly stood. "Well Shinji, I'm gonna go turn in and leave you two alone. Are you going to set up something for Rei out here?"  
  
Shinji looked at the floor and blushed. "Well... uh... actually... I was thinking of having her sleep in... my... room..." he said nervously, as he subconsciously slouched to look smaller.  
  
Misato arched an eyebrow at him. He just got more nervous, and seemed to shrink even more under her gaze.  
  
She peered at the two children sitting near each other. Somehow, she doubted that Rei, of all people... would... well... y'know... and considering Shinji's shyness...  
  
Misato shrugged her shoulders and sighed. "Well, I guess I can't really do anything about it, can I?" she asked rhetorically. "Besides, if you two were really bent on sex like that, I wouldn't be able to stop you with small measures like that."  
  
Shinji blushed even more... if that was humanly possible. "Misato... you know we wouldn't... wouldn't..."  
  
Rei opted to just watch the floor with interest and fidget slightly.  
  
Misato watched the other two for a little longer before heading out. "OK, good night, you two. If I find out tomorrow that you've had sex, I'm going to be... pissed," she said nonchalantly as she was leaving.  
  
The way she said that made a chill run down Shinji's spine. "We.. we... Misato-san, not... we wouldn't... we... I..." He was still mumbling.  
  
"Good night, Major." Rei said quietly.  
  
They heard Misato's door close.  
  
At that instant, they quickly reached out and held each other's hand again. Rei and Shinji looked down at the connection, almost in surprise at what they had done. Well... what they had done so quickly.  
  
After remaining in a comfortable silence for a while, Shinji spoke up. "Maybe we should... go to b-bed now?"  
  
Rei nodded. "Hai."  
  
He stood, and led her by the hand back to his room. They went in.  
  
Shinji looked down at himself and blinked. "Uh... Ayanami, would you be able to wait outside while I change quickly?"  
  
She tilted her head. "Why?"  
  
"Umm... er, well... it's just that... I... I'll get nervous if... um... you're in here and..."  
  
Rei gazed at him for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Hai."  
  
As she stepped outside and shut the door, Shinji's shoulders slumped in obvious relief. He changed, and then went up to the door.  
  
"OK, Ayanami... I'm done..." He opened the door.  
  
And screamed like a girl.  
  
And shut the door.  
  
He heard Rei from the other side. "What is wrong, Ikari?" She sounded... anxious? Frightened? There was an odd note of... something... in her voice.  
  
"Uhh... but... it's just that... you... you're not... uh... you don't have... ummm... any.... any... c-clothes, a-and..."  
  
There was a pause. "My current state of undress makes you uncomfortable, Ikari?"  
  
"I... well... um... yeah."  
  
"I... understand. Somehow... it makes me... uncomfortable also. There is something else too, but... it is strange. There were no traces of this same feeling when you... saw me in my apartment before."  
  
Shinji blushed at that particular memory. "Yeah... uh well, I can get you something to wear... hang on...."  
  
He grabbed some clothing and handed it to her by opening the door a small amount... taking extreme care to keep her out of his line of sight.  
  
There was a rustling of clothing, and then Rei opened the door, with her other clothing in her hand.  
  
He blinked.  
  
Did he pick those?  
  
She was wearing one of his light white t-shirts, and some light grey cloth running shorts he had outgrown.  
  
A large portion of both her arms and her legs were showing. The white t-shirt was not particularly... thick, and showed off some of her curves.  
  
Basically, she looked good. Very good.  
  
She noticed his appreciative stare, and began to blush, looking down at the ground.  
  
He jumped when he noticed what he did. Blushing profusely, "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean... I wasn't..." He turned and moved towards the bed.  
  
She walked up next to him, and they both stared at the bed.  
  
"So... uh... how do we do this?"  
  
Rei tilted her head and looked at the bed, thinking. Finally she said, "You get in first."  
  
Shinji blinked at the certainty. "Uh... OK...." He carefully maneuvered himself into the bed, and faced away from Rei.  
  
He heard rustling, and felt the bed moving, as Rei got in after him. He was surprised when he felt an arm go around his waist, and felt her press against his back.  
  
"This feels... quite... enjoyable. Good night, Ikari."  
  
"Uh... yeah, good night, he responded shakily.  
  
Good night. Of course, it depends on the point of view.  
  
Shinji remained still, as he noticed Rei stopped moving, and her breathing patterns changed. Her legs were slightly entangled with his, and the feeling of her soft legs touching his at various points was... well... um.... The arm curled around his waist bent at the elbow, so her hand was resting on his chest. Her breasts were pressing against his back as she snuggled up to him. There was a warm sensation on the back of his neck every time she breathed out. All the different sensations were driving him nuts.  
  
He sighed gently and tried to relax, or else he would never get to sleep.  
  
'Well, at least I can be thankful she suggested it this way,' he thought. 'I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate something poking her in her... pale... rounded... wasn't I supposed to stay away from this line of thought?'  
  
After employing massive amounts of... uhh... self-control... he was finally able to sleep.  
  
-TBC  
  
TT  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	5. Kiss

Why?  
  
Why why why?  
  
Why did the sun have to rise?  
  
Why couldn't it have stayed dark for a few more hours?  
  
Shinji lied in bed, with his eyes half open. He was in the same position he had slept in all night. Rei had just gotten up, and was bathing and cleaning up in the bathroom.  
  
He still remembered how it felt to have her lying next to him. So warm, so comfortable...  
  
The instant she had gotten out of the bed, he had felt it.  
  
The cold.  
  
No, wait... not really cold, but... a lack of warmth. Like a baby that was just torn from the warmth of its mother's womb.  
  
Shinji shivered slightly, and rolled to face the other side. He took a deep breath, and sighed. He could still barely detect Rei's scent on the spot where she had slept last night.  
  
It was odd; the scent was so... unique. He couldn't even begin to compare it to any other smell.  
  
That was probably because he had never sensed anything like it before. It was wonderful; that's all he could say about it.  
  
Shinji was pulled from his meandering thoughts as Rei returned to the room. Noticing that he was finally awake, she sat at the edge of the bed.  
  
"Good morning, Ikari-kun."  
  
Shinji blinked, and rubbed his eyes. "G'morning..." he said tiredly.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment.  
  
"Ikari-kun," Rei began, "How do you feel?"  
  
"I'm fine..."  
  
She shook her head slightly. "No... I meant... what are you feeling now?"  
  
He looked down and thought. "Well... um... I'm glad that you slept next to me last night... but I'm also displeased that we had to get up."  
  
Rei's brow furrowed slightly. "Those are opposing emotions..."  
  
"Yeah... well... it may seem strange, but it's common to have something like that. There are a lot of times when we may feel completely different emotions like these..."  
  
Rei's mouth turned up into a small smile. "Good. Because I feel the same way."  
  
Shinji blinked at her as she stood and headed towards the door.  
  
"Please hurry, Ikari-kun. We should not be late for school," she said as she left and shut the door.  
  
He sighed, scratched the back of his head, and got out of bed.  
  
]|[  
  
As Shinji walked with Rei to school, he tried as hard as he could to remain facing forward. He kept getting the urge to turn and say something to her... but every time he looked over, his mouth kinda just... stopped working.  
  
It wasn't really something new for him. He had always been shy – and even more so when in the presence of a member of the opposite sex. But that didn't mean it got easier to deal with.  
  
Shinji sighed, and absently scratched his cheek.  
  
Unfortunately, he scratched the injured one.  
  
"Ow! Crap!" he exclaimed, pulling his hand away from his face abruptly. Instinctively, his other hand came up to cover the wound. He looked down and saw the small amount of blood on his fingers.  
  
Mental note. Don't scratch an injured cheek.  
  
"Ikari-kun? Ikari-kun?"  
  
He looked up and saw Rei looking at him, her eyes wide with... concern.  
  
"Ikari-kun... please... let me see..." She reached up and put her arms between his, parting them to gently ease his hands away from his face. Then... she reached up and held his face in her hands, leaning to the side as she examined the wound.  
  
Subconsciously, he shut his eyes as her hands touched his face, focusing in on the sensation...  
  
"It... does not seem to be too bad..." Rei said, as she continued to examine him.  
  
Her hands were so soft...  
  
"Only part of it has been damaged again – it should be all right; it is not too serious," she continued.  
  
So... so... comforting...  
  
"Ikari-kun?"  
  
"This is nice..." he whispered quietly.  
  
His eyes shot open. Did he just say that out loud? He went to nervous and embarrassed immediately... Oh crap, here it comes...  
  
But it didn't come. Rei's eyes were wide, staring into his... though no longer out of concern, but out of... something else...  
  
In those few seconds, it seemed like time slowed down in the world around him and only his thoughts remained the same speed.  
  
Red. Eyes. Deep red. Red. Deep. Can't look away. Can't... don't want to...  
  
Rei stepped back and pulled her hands away from his face, a slight blush on her face. "We... we should be... going to school now..." she said quietly.  
  
Shinji was blushing so much he thought his head would explode. He could feel the burning heat radiating off of his red face. But he could also feel the two spots where Rei's hands were... and they weren't burning, but... warm... and... and he could still recall the sensation...  
  
"H-Hai," he got out nervously.  
  
The rest of the trip went in an uncomfortable silence – and both Children were content to watch the ground in front of them, instead of having to... to look at each other...  
  
]|[  
  
For the first time since arriving at Tokyo-3, Shinji hated school. Well, not really... more specifically... he hated his seat.  
  
Rei sat a couple of rows back and to the right. She stared out of the window as usual.  
  
Shinji kept feeling the urge to turn around. Turn to face her general direction. It was like some invisible force was pulling his ear, pushing his head to that direction...  
  
Until, of course, the force became real...  
  
"Ow! Hey!"  
  
He looked up at the man holding his ear. Damn substitute teacher. They didn't even need him anyway; all they have to do is play a video on Second Impact whenever the old guy's not in. But it seemed like this guy was actually trying to get something done.  
  
The relatively young substitute teacher looked at a paper in his hand. "Mr... Ikari," he said condescendingly as he finally found the name. He kept looking down at the paper, and then looked up with a smirk as he released the boy's ear.  
  
"Mr. Ikari. If you would please stop ogling Miss Ayanami and pay attention. At least wait until lunch; it's only half an hour away."  
  
He grinned and headed back to the front of the room, as the rest of the classroom exploded in laughter and cheers.  
  
Shinji blushed deeply as he sunk down into his seat, wishing he could just disappear. He desperately wondered how Rei was reacting... but he also desperately tried to remain facing forward. With all the attention drawn to him now, he didn't dare look at Rei because of the way it could... no, would be misconstrued.  
  
He stared at the clock. As the time came closer and closer to lunch, the minute hand seemed to be getting slower and slower...  
  
]|[  
  
"Ikari-kun..."  
  
Shinji looked up from his desk and saw Rei standing there. "Yes, Ayanami?"  
  
She blushed slightly as her eyes dropped. "I... you were... you woke up late, so I..." She hesitantly produced a bento (boxed lunch, for those of you who don't know), and held it out to him. "I made... this... I know you usually... cook for yourself and Soryu..."  
  
'How did she know that?' Shinji asked himself. Had she been watching him... before this incident?  
  
Before she could stumble over any more words, he carefully reached up and took a gentle hold of the box, their fingers brushing and sending a slight tingle through both of them... "Thanks a lot, Ayanami," he said reassuringly.  
  
As she released the box to him, her eyes widened with joy and relief as he opened it and began to eat, obviously enjoying it. "This is great, Rei!"  
  
She looked at her feet as she tried to hide her blush and smile from anyone who may have been nearby. "I... you..." She paused and took a breath, steadying herself. "...Thank you.." she was finally able to get out timidly.  
  
She quietly moved and sat at the desk next to him. Shinji looked up and blinked, before going back to his food. Her actions lately hadn't really surprised him... as much, at least...  
  
He looked up again a little later to see her with her lunch out... but she wasn't eating, just staring at the desk...  
  
"Ayanami? What's wrong?"  
  
A few seconds passed until her brow furrowed slightly... it seemed like she had come to a decision. "Ikari-kun... why did the substitute say you were... o-..." She paused as she tried to recall the word.  
  
Shinji slumped. "... ogling... ?" he asked timidly.  
  
"Hai. Why did the substitute say you were... ogling... me?"  
  
Shinji went to 'embarrassed' mode. "I think... that he... uh... was just... just making fun of me... "  
  
She nodded. "I understand that... but... if you had not been doing something similar, it would have only been a lie."  
  
"... uh..."  
  
She looked up at him. "So you were looking at me, then..."  
  
Shinji just seemed to shrink even more. "... h-hai... "  
  
"Why?"  
  
He blinked as he heard a response he wasn't expecting at all. "Huh?"  
  
"Why were you looking at me?"  
  
He desperately tried to think of an excuse.  
  
... and realized he had none. There was no way that-  
  
For once, unlike his previous bout with Asuka, it was fortunate that he opened his mouth without really thinking. "Because you're beautiful..." He stopped and blinked at what he just said. "What I mean... uhh... I mean..." He began fidgeting uncomfortably...  
  
As Shinji returned to his embarrassed and incoherent stutter, Rei looked up at him in shock. She stared at him for a minute, eyes wide, before she could respond. "... t-thank you... I find you... a-... attractive also... " she said quietly – once again with a blush.  
  
Shinji froze and stared back, mouth hanging open in mid-stutter. "I..."  
  
They remained like that for a couple seconds... until, on some unspoken cue, they both turned to their food and continued eating in an embarrassed silence.  
  
]|[  
  
Misato grinned. It was really cute.  
  
Ever since she had gotten back to the apartment, she had noticed it. It was the first and most obvious thing she had noticed, too.  
  
Rei and Shinji were sitting and watching TV... though it was obvious that neither of them were really watching. Their minds were racing in high gear – both about the other. It was causing a rather tense quiet, and it seemed it had been going for quite some time.  
  
Obviously, something had happened since she left them last night. And she was certain it hadn't been... uh... last NIGHT. After all, she had gone and listened in after them, interested... AHEM... I mean, concerned for their safety as the adult in the house.  
  
It was obvious; they were crazy about each other.  
  
Though nothing would happen at this rate. Third Impact would COME and GO before those two did anything.  
  
A devious grin came onto her face. She just had to help those two along. After all, she had been running out of things to tease Shinji about.... AHEM... I mean, she was a NERV officer, and this would help him deal with that fight with Asuka, thus improving his sync rate...  
  
]|[  
  
"Hey Shinji, Rei? Since you two don't really seem to be doing much, do you want to watch a movie?"  
  
They turned as they saw Misato enter the room, DVD case in hand.  
  
"Ritsuko lent me this and said it was pretty good," she continued. "I've got paperwork to do, but I can let you two watch it, if you want..."  
  
Shinji narrowed his eyes. "It's not... you know... inappropriate... , is it?"  
  
"Oh no, no," Misato responded offhandedly. "She keeps those sorted by category in pink-" She froze.  
  
Then she quickly put the movie on the table and left the room, mumbling about work to do.  
  
Shinji and Rei looked at each other.  
  
"That was weird," he said.  
  
Rei only nodded.  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji snorted mentally.  
  
Yeah, right.  
  
Figures it'd be a romance movie.  
  
Figures it would be an extra sappy one.  
  
Figures it would be presented at the perfect time.  
  
Figures that Dr. Akagi probably hates this kind of stuff anyway.  
  
Shinji sighed, having done more than enough figuring. Misato was at it again.  
  
He decided to complain later, and tried to pay attention.  
  
Perfect timing; it was the first kiss scene. As soon as they saw it. Shinji and Rei each turned to the person beside them, obviously thinking the same thing... and just as quickly turned back, blushing.  
  
But the seed was planted...  
  
Shinji watched the tv, frozen. Then, having waited a few minutes and believing it to be safe, he turned and looked at her again.  
  
She was looking at him with a determined expression.  
  
Shinji began to sweat. Oh sh-  
  
Before he could do anything else, she reached behind his head. He could only stare helplessly into her eyes as she leaned towards him and her lips met his...  
  
Shinji's eyes almost fell out as he tensed, and whimpered slightly at being surprised like that. As he adjusted, his senses came back to him. He saw her pleased expression, eyes closed. He noticed her arms around his neck, and his instinctively around her waist.  
  
But the feel. Oh God, the feel! Her... his... warm... soft... ... uh....  
  
Enjoying it far too much, he lost rational thought as he returned the kiss.  
  
Finally she pulled away, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Now I see why this emotion and sensation was used in the movie as it was..."  
  
Shinji grinned widely. "Yeah, but I haven't gotten it yet."  
  
Rei barely had time to smile back before he leaned in again.  
  
-TBC  
  
TT  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	6. Together

...  
  
tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap...  
  
Asuka looked down at her foot. Why was it doing that?  
  
tap tap tap tap tap tap...  
  
She shrugged and looked back up. It must be because it was so boring here.  
  
tap tap tap tap tap...  
  
Asuka's foot paused, as the fact that someone was speaking to her registered in the back of her mind. "Huh?"  
  
Hikari sighed a little, and tried again. "I asked, 'what are you so impatient about?'"  
  
"I'm not impatient. I'm just bored."  
  
"Oh."  
  
...  
  
tap tap tap tap tap tap...  
  
They both looked down at her foot.  
  
"Right, Asuka. Are you sure that's it?"  
  
She crossed her arms, a little indignant. "Of course. What else could it be?"  
  
... A big grin appeared on Hikari's face.  
  
"W-...what?" Asuka asked, slightly nervous.  
  
"Are you sure that you're not just itching to get back to your apartment?" Hikari's grin widened.  
  
"Why would I want to go back to that idiot?"  
  
"Maybe because said 'idiot' is staying with Rei?"  
  
"Feh. Yeah right."  
  
"Besides, who said I was talking about Shinji? You were the one who brought him up first."  
  
"N-...... As if!"  
  
Hikari sighed. "Whatever you say, Asuka." She turned back to her homework.  
  
....  
  
....  
  
tap tap tap tap tap...  
  
Hikari smiled and shook her head, and Asuka looked away as if wasn't _her_ foot making all that noise...  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji looked up at the girl across the table.  
  
Rei was immersed in her homework, and was not paying attention to him. He watched the pale girl, fascinated.  
  
The way her fingers delicately held the pencil...  
  
The way her crimson eyes moved back and forth, taking in the text in front of her...  
  
The way her slightly unruly light blue hair was scattered over her forehead...  
  
The way her eyes bored right into his... oops.  
  
"Ikari? Is something wrong?"  
  
Shinji jumped a little, startled. "No, it's nothing," he said nervously as he threw himself back into his homework.  
  
Rei tilted her head slightly and watched him for a couple seconds before returning to her text.  
  
Blush fading, Shinji focused on the papers in front of him. But even though he looked like he was working hard, his mind was elsewhere.  
  
They had not kissed again since that night. He was not sure why, but it never came up again. Shinji, being as nervous as he was around girls, would never be the one to initate things. What, was he just supposed to ask, 'Can I kiss you?' Uh-uh. No way. How awkward would that be?  
  
Unfortunately, this left Ayanami to be the one to initiate things. While she had been the one who initiated things yesterday, it was a direct result of seeing it happen in the movie - almost as if she was... experimenting. They both got caught up in the moment, though, and it ended up lasting a lot longer than she probably intended...  
  
His cheeks colored again, and he shook his head a little to clear it. Rei glanced up at him for a moment, but went back to her work.  
  
But after that night... she never mentioned it again. Why not? She hadn't... lost interest in him, had she?  
  
Shinji knocked that thought away; of course that wasn't it.  
  
... Maybe it hadn't crossed her mind at all? Shinji's mood fell slightly at that thought - it was possible, but he'd rather not think that way.  
  
... Was she leaving it to him to initiate it? He hoped that wasn't the case, because he certainly didn't have the guts to do so...  
  
But she had mentioned feelings before... maybe she was dealing with new feelings after her first kiss? Was she... embarrassed?  
  
He grinned inwardly. That was kind of cute.  
  
Looking at the quiet and passive girl in front of him, it was hard to imagine her doing something so... bold. He wondered if it really happened...  
  
Shinji's fingers drifted up, gently touching his lips. He blushed profusely - yes, it definitely happened.  
  
As if sensing him, Rei looked up at him. Seeing his fingers on his lips, she must have guessed what he was thinking.... she blushed a little as she watched him.  
  
He realized she was looking, and immediately dropped his hand into his lap. "Um... I... I was..."  
  
"... thinking about our kiss?" she finished for him. Her voice seemed calm, but her colored cheeks indicated otherwise...  
  
"Y-yeah, k-kinda..."  
  
The room fell into an uncomfortable silence.  
  
Finally, after some time, Rei ventured, "W-... would you like to... d-... do it again?"  
  
'Chance!' his brain cried in joy. "Y-Yes!" he squeaked out.  
  
She nodded in what he assumed was acceptance.  
  
They stared at each other for a minute. Realizing that she would not be the one to make the first move as she had before, Shinji hesitantly made his way around the table and sat beside her. He swallowed nervously as he faced her.  
  
Rei watched him as he took a little time to gather the courage for what he was about to do.  
  
Finally, Shinji slowly leaned closer. He watched her slightly parted lips as he leaned in, ever so slowly... tilted his head...  
  
He shivered a little as he felt her gentle breath on his cheek... felt her breathing speed up slightly, just as his was certainly doing...  
  
His eyes slowly slid shut as he approached... so close... almost there... almost-  
  
"Tadaima!" Misato called as she entered the apartment. She dropped her things in the kitchen, and entered the main room.  
  
Misato paused as she saw the Children... doing their work. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed both of them blushing, though.... "Homework?"  
  
Shinji nodded quite vigorously. "Yes, of course!"  
  
Rei nodded in a slightly more normal manner, with a simple, "Hai."  
  
She watched them for a few seconds.... and then, "... You're writing in the textbook, Shinji."  
  
He jumped slightly. "Oh! Am I? Oops... it... I mean..." he got out before laughing nervously.  
  
They stared at each other in an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. Shinji could not think of any excuses to cover for his slip-up...  
  
Finally, Misato shrugged. It probably wasn't a good idea to press the issue when the boy looked as if he were about to have an apoplexy. "Well, whatever." she said, and left the room.  
  
He sighed, relieved that she wouldn't question any further.  
  
However, both children had the same thought running through their heads.  
  
'Damn it...'  
  
]|[  
  
Asuka was scowling. While this was nothing new, it did warrant inquiry.  
  
"Um... what are you so angry about, Asuka?"  
  
"Nothing," she responded curtly.  
  
"Ok..."  
  
Hikari watched her friend. Although Asuka had said it didn't bother her, it really did. She _was_ irritated about Shinji and Rei staying together. No, she would never admit it; but it really was obvious to anyone who knew her.  
  
Hikari sighed. She had teased her earlier to get a rise out of her, but she really did care - they were friends, after all. Asuka didn't deserve this.  
  
... And besides, being around an irritable Asuka was dangerous.  
  
She decided to say something... but she had to speak carefully, and avoid really angering the girl. "Look... why don't you go back?"  
  
"Why? I don't care."  
  
'You do care,' Hikari thought. "I know... but I really think you should go back. I don't want to sound like I'm kicking you out, but don't you think you've stayed long enough?"  
  
"What, so you don't want me here anymore?!"  
  
So much for that. "It's not that... but didn't you make up with Shinji already?"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So why don't you want to go back?"  
  
"Because..."  
  
"Because... ?"  
  
"... Because he's a jerk!"  
  
Hikari looked at her strangely. "But I thought you already forgave him."  
  
"I did!"  
  
"Then why don't you want to go back?"  
  
"... Because!"  
  
Hikari sighed; this wasn't going anywhere. She had one more option. It wasn't nice... but it really was her last resort. Deep breath. "So how long are you going to keep running away?"  
  
Asuka stiffened a little. "... I'm not running away." It struck an odd note in her mind... Baka Shinji is the one who's always running away...  
  
"Sure you are. You don't want to see him or Rei, so you're hiding here at my house."  
  
She looked quite angry now. "What?! I'm not hiding from anybody!" ... Baka Shinji is the wimp!  
  
It was time to drive the point home. "You're not... afraid of seeing them, are you?"  
  
That was the last straw... Asuka stood up angrily. "There's no way that I'm afraid of that... that... JERK! I'll show you who's running away!"  
  
In one smooth motion, she stood up, grabbed her things, and stormed out.  
  
After she left, Hikari paused, and a small grin appeared on her face. "I win."  
  
]|[  
  
"Ikari."  
  
Shinji looked to his left. "Yes? What is it, Ayanami?"  
  
She blushed a little. "I... wanted..."  
  
"... to kiss?" Shinji timidly finished for her.  
  
"... yes..." She averted her eyes.  
  
He smiled - her behavior was really cute.  
  
Rei stiffened a little, and looked to him in surprise as she found her hand in his.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Ayanami." He turned bright red. "I'm sure... t-that... there will be... o-other... c-chances..." he forced himself to stutter out, and squeezed her hand gently. He couldn't believe he was daring to say such an embarrassing thing...  
  
Rei blushed a little more. Nodding, she squeezed his hand back, and smiled gently.  
  
... and seeing her smile made all the embarrassment worthwhile. 'Right,' he thought. 'That's why I dared to say that.'  
  
He almost lost himself in her red eyes again...  
  
... until he recalled something he had been meaning to ask. "Ayanami... I was wondering... why weren't you... as... uh... um... a-aggressive... as when we... kissed... before?" he struggled to ask, memories of Rei's... forceful... kiss that night making him timid once again.  
  
She looked down. "I... don't know. For some reason, I was... reluctant... to do so... but at the same time, I wanted to... it is confusing..."  
  
"... You wanted to, but you didn't want to act as forceful as before?"  
  
Rei nodded hesitantly. "I do not understand how I could be so reserved about it, when I... want to. Somehow, I am more..."  
  
"... self-conscious?"  
  
She looked at him, tilting her head as she pondered the term. "Self-conscious?"  
  
Shinji nodded. "It's when you're... concerned about yourself and how you appear to other people. Like... you worry about... what I think of you, I guess."  
  
The Rei in Shinji's mind.  
  
She thought about it for another minute. "I... suppose. But why is this happening?"  
  
"You're... shy, I think."  
  
"Shy?"  
  
"Well... kind of. Embarrassed. Bashful. There are a few words you could use to describe it."  
  
"But why am I suddenly becoming... shy?"  
  
Shinji paused to think. "I can't really say for sure... but I know I'm usually a very shy and quiet person. I get extremely embarrassed, especially when it comes to things such as... k-kissing. ... Maybe you're the same way. Are you concerned about what... other people in our class think, for example?"  
  
"No," she replied with some certainty. "Just you..."  
  
Shinji's heart soared...  
  
"... and Commander Ikari."  
  
... and crashed. And burned. That's right - he had forgotten about that.  
  
As if somehow sensing his change in mood, Rei gave his hand a slight, reassuring squeeze. "But... somehow... it is mostly... you."  
  
Shinji shook off the depressed mood - he had to help her with her feelings. He smiled and squeezed her hand back. "It sounds a lot like how I feel when I'm embarrassed."  
  
"But... the fact that I only care about what you think... indicates that the way I... feel... about you is significantly different from the way I feel about everyone else... correct?"  
  
He felt his face heating up. "Er... um... yeah... I g-guess..." he stuttered out nervously, scratching his head.  
  
Rei looked down, contemplating this new development.  
  
'... embarrassed...?'  
  
]|[  
  
As Asuka stormed down the street towards Misato's apartment, she froze.  
  
"... I can't believe I fell for that."  
  
After a minute, she shrugged and continued walking. Even if Hikari did trick her, she did bring up some valid points.  
  
She really couldn't stay at Hikari's house forever. No matter how long she tried to avoid seeing the other two Children, she was only delaying the inevitable - they did pilot together, after all. She was bound to see them at the next battle, if not at an earlier sync test.  
  
She gritted her teeth. Plus, Wondergirl was staying with Shinji. It wouldn't do to leave those two alone and... unmediated.  
  
... She backed her thoughts up to amend that statement: Shinji was a pervert, after all, and Wondergirl was a doll that wouldn't raise complaint if Shinji tried to... do something perverted to her.  
  
Right. That was it.  
  
...  
  
... And if nothing else, she had to prove to Hikari that she wasn't afraid... of anyone.  
  
]|[  
  
"Ikari?"  
  
Shinji started slightly; it was the first word Rei had said in 15 minutes. "Y-Yes?"  
  
"Can I call you... S-... Shinji?"  
  
Huh? "Uh... s-sure, I don't see why not..."  
  
"Alright... Shinji."  
  
His heart rate sped up slightly, just by hearing her say his name for the first time. "Uh... but... w-... why the sudden change?"  
  
"... Somehow I... felt like... dissociating?... you from the Commander."  
  
What? ... Oh. She didn't want to call him and the Commander by the same name anymore. ... He didn't know whether to feel glad or not - was it because she didn't want to call him by the name reserved for the Commander, or was it actually because... he himself was the one she held in higher regard?  
  
"O-Ok, that's... fine..."  
  
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Shinji registered the sound of the front door opening. Misato was in the kitchen; maybe she had a guest? The thought was quickly dismissed; there were more pressing issues at hand.  
  
"Then I guess I s-should do the same... d-do you mind... if I c-call you... R-Rei?"  
  
She blushed a little, and shook her head.  
  
He sighed a little in relief, and smiled. "All right then, Re-AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!"  
  
Rei gave him a strange look, and turned around to see what he was staring at...  
  
...  
  
Asuka was standing in the doorway.  
  
She did not look pleased.  
  
"You two are pretty close, I see."  
  
"A-A-A-Asuka! Uh... f-fancy meeting y-you here..."  
  
"... I live here, idiot." She arched an eyebrow at him.  
  
Belatedly, Shinji looked down, and quickly removed his hand from Rei's. After a couple seconds, she too returned her hand to her lap.  
  
"Uh-... well... I... wasn't expecting you to b-be back so soon!"  
  
Asuka scoffed. "Obviously." She turned to Rei. "So... you're still here, Wondergirl," she said, a definite note of distaste in her voice.  
  
"... Yes." Any semblance of emotion Rei had shown before was gone.  
  
Those two really were not getting along; he had to intervene before something... bad... happened. "Um... W-Why are you back so soon, Asuka? I t-thought you said you were going to stay longer?"  
  
She crossed her arms and gave him a scathing glare. "I was, but then I thought you would do something perverted if I wasn't around. Seems I was right."  
  
"I wasn't doing anything perverted!"  
  
"You were holding her hand!"  
  
"How is that perverted?!"  
  
"Because you probably reached over and grabbed her hand without asking! She's too much of a doll to stop you."  
  
"Rei- I mean, Ayanami is not a doll! And I didn't 'grab' her hand without asking!"  
  
"Oh, first names already? You two are quite affectionate. I guess you didn't even have to ask before you grabbed her hand, huh? What's next, her breasts?"  
  
As things degenerated into one of their typical little spats, Rei stood up and left the room.  
  
]|[  
  
It was not a pleasant moment for Misato.  
  
She sat at the kitchen table, drinking her third beer. On the table was a rather large stack of papers - it was giving her a headache just _looking_ at all the paperwork in front of her.  
  
'Work sucks,' she thought.  
  
Plus, there was this irritating little clamor coming from the next room, which didn't help her head at all...  
  
Rei entered the room, paused, and then made her way over to Misato. "Hello, Major."  
  
Misato looked up. "Oh hi, Rei."  
  
"Shinji and Pilot Soryu are fighting. Does this happen often?"  
  
Since when does she call Shinji by his first name? "It happens occasionally. They're fine; don't worry about it."  
  
Rei remained silent. It seemed like the girl had nothing else to say.  
  
...  
  
Shrugging, she grabbed her beer and took a big swig.  
  
"I do not like it."  
  
*SPURT* Misato sprayed a little beer on her papers; beer went down the wrong pipe.  
  
"Are you all right, Major?"  
  
"I'm fine," she got out hoarsely as she finished coughing the last of the liquid out of her windpipe. "Really, it's ok, Rei. Why does it bother you so much?"  
  
"Have you forgotten, Major, that the injury on Shinji's cheek is the result of a fight?"  
  
That's right. "That is true, but... it's a little different with these fights..."  
  
"How? I do not understand."  
  
"Well... that was a _real_ fight. A bad one. When they have little arguments like this, it's... almost... friendly fighting, I suppose. Neither of them is really serious about hurting the other. I think it's kind of like lion cubs play fighting or something - they're showing a sort of affection, admittedly in a slightly demented way..."  
  
"I... see."  
  
Misato blinked. She could have sworn she saw Rei's brow furrow slightly. Before she could say anything, though, Rei was already heading out of the room.  
  
She stared after the girl for a few seconds, and then looked down at her now beer-soaked papers. "Oh, shit!"  
  
]|[  
  
Shinji and Asuka faced off, panting slightly as their fight died down.  
  
Asuka's eyes drifted... to the cut on Shinji's cheek. Involuntarily, she winced slightly and averted her eyes.  
  
Shinji's angry expression softened a little.  
  
"I... really am sorry," she finally said quietly. "I didn't want to cut you..."  
  
He relaxed - her mood seemed a little better, at least. "It's ok, it doesn't bother me."  
  
"But-"  
  
"No, really. Don't worry about it. It was my fault anyway."  
  
Asuka sighed, and finally smiled a little. "Thanks..."  
  
He returned the smile. "No problem."  
  
...  
  
After a minute, Rei re-entered the room, now that the noise level was back to normal. "You look exhausted, Shinji."  
  
Asuka's eyebrow twitched. That whole 'first name' thing still did bother her...  
  
"Perhaps we should go to sleep," the blue-haired girl continued.  
  
Asuka's eyebrow twitched again. 'We?'  
  
Shinji glanced over at Asuka. When he saw no immediate violent reaction forthcoming, he looked back at Rei.  
  
Something... was off. He couldn't say what it was, but there was something... different... about Rei's demeanor, or her voice, or _something_. It was barely detectable, but it was there. "I... guess..." He turned. "Good night, Asuka."  
  
Asuka was silent as she watched Rei and Shinji both leave the room... and enter Shinji's room.  
  
After a minute of shock, she scowled in an extremely frightening manner. This was too much.  
  
Balling up her fists, Asuka stomped after them, fully intent on beating some sense into that scrawny little pervert...  
  
-TBC  
  
xiphux@planetjurai.com 


	7. Progress

"Why do you fight with Pilot Soryu?"  
  
Shinji looked up. "Huh?" he responded intelligently.  
  
"Why do you fight with Pilot Soryu, Shinji?"  
  
"Why? Um... I don't really know why, Rei. It's just that she's impossible to get along with..."  
  
"Major Katsuragi says it is friendly fighting, as a means of showing affection."  
  
"Er... I wouldn't really call it 'friendly fighting,' per se ... We argue, but it's mostly about little things that aren't very important. I'm usually not very angry with her, just more annoyed than anything..." Shinji continued to prepare for bed.  
  
"... I do not approve."  
  
Blink. "Uh... what?"  
  
"I do not approve. You should stop fighting with her."  
  
"Why do you say that? It's not like we're really all that serious about it. It's more just venting than anything."  
  
Rei paused, as if she was trying to find the words to express what she meant. "I do not want you to get hurt again."  
  
Shinji blushed at her concern. However, Rei still seemed to be lost in thought...  
  
Finally, she hesitantly spoke. "I do not like... the idea of you and Pilot Soryu... showing affection."  
  
Everything came to a halt for Shinji, as he contemplated that. 'Wait... is Rei actually... jealous? That's pretty cute!' Shinji felt his heart speed up a little, and he couldn't hide the goofy grin appearing on his face...  
  
Rei tilted her head at the odd expression. 'Is Shinji sick?'  
  
After Shinji calmed down enough to speak, he smiled at Rei. "Well actually, Rei-"  
  
BOOOM  
  
They both started, and turned to the now open door...

* * *

Through the drunken haze, Misato became dimly aware of a thumping noise. It was causing ripples in her beer - vaguely reminiscent of Jurassic Park, actually. However, the stomping noises were far too fast to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex - that could only mean one thing, something far scarier...  
  
She tilted her head back. "Asuka? Something wrong?"  
  
What she got in response was a jumble of angrily noises. She could only make out a couple Japanese words - 'pervert,' 'wimp,' and 'Wondergirl.' The rest was delivered in German that she couldn't understand. She didn't think she really wanted to understand, judging by the girl's tone.  
  
By that point, Asuka was already past the kitchen. Misato sighed, shrugged, and went back to work. 'I'm only gonna step in if there's any property damage...'

* * *

There is an old adage concerning women and hell's fury. Or rather, those were the only parts Shinji could remember at the moment.  
  
"A-Asuka! Um... hi...?"  
  
"You... PERVERT..."  
  
At that point, Shinji could have sworn he saw his life flash before his eyes. "I-I wasn't doing anything perverted! This isn't what it looks like!"  
  
Asuka raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? It sure looks like you're about to sleep with her," she bit out slowly.  
  
"Well... uh... I was, b-but not like that..."  
  
"So you were just going to cuddle, right?"  
  
"Y-... I mean no! I don't see why this is such a big deal to you!"  
  
Asuka's eyes widened a bit, before she turned her nose up at him. "Feh... I don't care about you!"  
  
"Yeah right..." he muttered dryly.  
  
"WHAT did you say?! If you have something to say, Third Child, you had better have the guts to say it to my...'

* * *

'I know I said I wouldn't interfere unless they were breaking stuff, but it's getting rather annoying...' Misato scowled a little. "Hey, SHADDUP over there!"  
  
No one noticed.  
  
She clenched her fist, and a vein appeared on her forehead. "I SAID SHUT UP, YOU TWO!! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO WORK HERE!!"

* * *

Asuka paused in her ranting. "Did you hear something?"  
  
Shinji shook his head.  
  
She shrugged before continuing to yell at him.

* * *

'Those children will be the death of me...' she thought. Angrily she stood up and made her way towards the clamor.  
  
They paused and turned to look at her as she showed up at the doorway.  
  
"Maybe you didn't hear me," she said calmly. "I NEED TO WORK, SO SHUT UP!! Asuka, room. Now. Shinji, couch. Go."  
  
"Why do I have to sleep on the couch?"  
  
"You're the man, aren't you? Men are supposed to let the woman have the bed."  
  
Withering under Misato's fearsome glare, Shinji didn't feel very much like a man.  
  
Rei finally spoke up. "But it was not a problem yesterday."  
  
At this revelation, Asuka got even angrier, if that was possible.  
  
"I didn't feel like murdering Children yesterday." she muttered. "Now GO!"  
  
Grumbling, Shinji and Asuka headed out of the room. Misato slammed the door and sat back down at the kitchen table. She chugged an entire can of beer, sighed, and started to work again.

* * *

As Shinji settled down on the couch, he felt oddly... cold. Alone. As if something was missing from his side.  
  
Well, something was missing. Rei was. He longed to feel her heat next to him. Shinji blushed a little at that thought. He wasn't being perverted, it's just that... her warmth beside him was... calming. Comforting. It-  
  
Asuka's face appeared above him. "AND IF I FIND YOU SLEEPING WITH HER AGAIN TOMORROW MORNING, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS SO HARD YOUR GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE MY FOOTPRINT FOR A BIRTHMARK!! DO YOU HEAR ME THIRD CHILD?!"  
  
Shinji nodded hastily.  
  
Satisfied, Asuka went back to her room and slammed the door.  
  
'Yeesh...' Shinji thought. "I don't see what her problem is..."

* * *

The next morning, Asuka was up earlier than normal. This was not because she wanted to check on Shinji, mind you. She just felt like getting an early start.  
  
As she left her room, she passed by Shinji's couch. Of course, this was only because it was on the way.  
  
Never mind the fact that from her room, the couch was in the opposite direction of the bathroom. Details, details.  
  
She snuck a peek at the person on the couch as she went by. Oddly enough, there was a two-headed creature on the couch. One head had black hair, and one head had blue hair. She shrugged, and continued walking, until she finally kicked her half-asleep mind into awareness. Asuka went back and did a classic double take.  
  
Rei and Shinji were on the same couch.  
  
POP  
A vein bulged.  
  
Rei stirred a little, mumbled Shinji's name, and pulled him closer to her.  
  
POP  
Another vein bulged.  
  
Shinji tightened his arm around her slightly in response.  
  
POP  
There's another one. Strangely, they were beginning to resemble the kanji for 'kill.'  
  
Asuka chuckled a little, in that 'I'm actually not amused at all' kind of way.

* * *

"PERVERT!!!!!!!"  
  
Birds all around the apartment building scattered.

* * *

Shinji awoke to the shouting of a certain redhead. This wasn't exactly new, though. He opened his eyes to see the irate German's face looking down at him. If looks could kill, Shinji was certain he and Rei would have been vaporized by now. What was she mad about now?  
  
Wait. Back up.  
  
He finally noticed Rei beside him. She must have come over in the middle of the night. He noticed her arms around him, and blushed a little. It felt good to be held by her like this.  
  
Then she pulled him against her body tightly, and he turned red as a tomato.  
  
You thought Asuka was angry before? Yeah.  
  
While Rei had gotten used to sleeping deeply due to the construction by her apartment, nothing could sleep through the current noise. For one thing, Pilot Soryu was holding Shinji's collar, shaking him as she shouted in his face. His head flopped back and forth uselessly as he was pulled from Rei's arms..  
  
Rei sat up and scowled. She was actually angry. Pilot Soryu was hurting Shinji. Putting a hand on each of the pilots, she pushed the two apart, and moved in between them. She turned her angry expression on Asuka. "Stop."  
  
Asuka was a little unnerved. She never saw Wondergirl angry like this before. Judging by his expression, Shinji hadn't, either. Determined not to lose, she bolstered her anger. "What do you want, Wondergirl?"  
  
"Stop. You are hurting Shinji."  
  
"No, I'm not!"  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"No, I'm not!"  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
"No, I'm not!"  
  
"Yes, you are."  
  
Seeing as how Rei seemed to be perfectly content with repeating this witty dialogue all day, Asuka changed tactics. "So what? He's a wimp and a pervert, and needs a little sense beaten into him!"  
  
Rei reached up and gently caressed Shinji's injured cheek, causing him to blush profusely. "I will not see Shinji hurt again."  
  
Asuka knocked her hand away from him. "You..."

* * *

Misato awoke with a hangover. This was normal. But that damn girl was shouting again, and it was causing a rather painful throbbing at her temples...  
  
She slowly stood up and shuffled out into the hallway. After a quick detour to the kitchen for a beer, she made her way towards the sound of the World War occurring in her apartment...

* * *

"Who are you to tell me what to do?!"  
  
"If Shinji's safety is involved, then it is my concern."  
  
"Are you gonna do something to stop me?! Can you, even?!" Asuka began to roll her sleeve up.  
  
"If I have to, yes."  
  
Seeing how things were about to get dangerous very quickly, Shinji tried to step in and mediate. "Now, girls... maybe-"  
  
"Stay out of this, Shinji!" Asuka shouted, and punched him. While it wasn't hard as her punches from before, it still was enough to knock Shinji on his back.  
  
"Shinji!" he heard Rei exclaim, some concern noticeable in her voice. He looked up, just in time to see Rei punch Asuka. It was not a very fast or graceful punch; it was obvious that Rei did not have a lot of hand-to-hand training and was just trying to imitate Asuka's punch, but it did the job. Shinji watched in shock as Asuka fell back, much as he had just done.  
  
Asuka held a hand to her cheek and looked up at Rei, stunned. Then her face contorted in anger, and she got up to lunge at the blue-haired girl.  
  
She would have done so, at least, had Misato not stepped between the two. "Hai hai, that's enough."  
  
Despite her anger, Asuka knew that hitting a senior officer was a good way to get her ass in trouble, real quick.  
  
"Bitch!" she screamed at Rei.  
  
"... but I am not a canine..."  
  
Asuka slapped her forehead.  
  
"Ok, ok, what's happening here?" Misato asked, after taking a swig of beer.  
  
The redhead pointed at the bluehead, shaking with anger. "She... she... she was sleeping here! With him!!"  
  
Misato eyed the trio before taking another drink and shrugging. "So what?"  
  
"So WHAT?! SO WHAT?!!" she screamed incredulously. "They could be doing something... gross!! Like... screwing, or something!"  
  
Shinji turned bright red, and even Rei had a bit of color on her cheeks.  
  
Misato just shook her head. "They would be naked, and there would be plenty of evidence on the couch. I don't think so." She then narrowed her eyes at Shinji. "Speaking of which... don't get anything nasty on my couch."  
  
Shinji face was flaming. "M-Misato-san... I wouldn't... I mean..." The color left his face as Misato burst out laughing. "Misato-san!" he whined indignantly. "Don't tease me like that!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry," she chuckled.  
  
Asuka stared at the others, flabbergasted. How could Misato just overlook it that easily?! "So you're just going to let him get away with it?!"  
  
"Well, they just slept next to each other, right? It's not that big a deal," Misato replied nonchalantly.  
  
"But... but..." She realized that arguing decency with Misato, of all people, was futile. Misato herself was quite... uh... shameless.  
  
Unfortunately, Misato spun things back on her. "Why do you care so much about what they do? You sound... almost..."  
  
Asuka's eyes widened as she realized what was coming next. She tried to interrupt. "I-"  
  
"Jealous!" Misato declared loudly, grinning like the Cheshire cat.  
  
Shinji paused, and looked at Asuka. 'Really?' He blushed a little.  
  
Rei noticed his blush. Her brow furrowed... again.  
  
Asuka turned away. "Feh. Yeah right. Like I care about this pervert." She stalked into her room.  
  
Misato snickered a little, and Asuka stuck her head out. "I'M NOT JEALOUS!!" She shut the door forcefully.  
  
"Sigh... that girl..." Misato shook her head, tossed the now-empty can, and went to the kitchen for another.  
  
As soon as Misato left, Rei was right beside him. She was examining his cheek. "Does it hurt, Shinji?"  
  
Shinji blushed a little, and rubbed his cheek. The punch missed his previous wound, fortunately, but there was still a very minor bruise. "I'm ok, Rei. It doesn't really hurt anymore."  
  
Before he could stop her, she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the bruise. Shinji looked at her, shocked, as she pulled away. They both blushed. He could feel that silly grin coming on again...  
  
"WOO-HOO!!" Misato screamed, having seen everything from the doorway. "Look at the lovebirds!!" she shouted as she grabbed Shinji in a headlock.  
  
As you can tell, she was quite drunk. Everyone knows that the best way to get rid of a hangover is to get drunk again.  
  
Shinji was about to complain, but as he looked up, he noticed Rei quietly giggling at their antics. Grinning, he played along. 'Progress...'

* * *

Later on, Shinji and Rei were relaxing on the couch, watching TV. Misato was at NERV for her shift.  
  
Asuka hadn't come out of her room all day. Silently, Shinji was grateful. It wasn't that he didn't want to see her, it's just... there's only so much stress one person can take, you know?  
  
"... Shinji?" Rei's voice interrupted his thoughts.  
  
He turned to look at her. "Yes, Rei?"  
  
"What were you going to say last night?"  
  
Shinji tilted his head in thought. "When?"  
  
"When I said I did not approve of the idea of you and Pilot Soryu showing affection."  
  
That's right. Rei was jealous. He was grinning again.  
  
"Shinji, you have the same expression on your face as you did last night. You are not mentally ill, are you?" she asked, a little concerned.  
  
Shinji sweatdropped. After rearranging his facial features into a more natural smile, he replied, "No, I'm not crazy. I'm just really happy."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well... you were jealous, Rei."  
  
"... jealous?"  
  
He nodded. "It's... uh..." This was a little complicated to explain. "In basis, it's envy - wanting something that someone else has." Shinji scratched his head a little before continuing. "But when it comes to relationships, it's a bit different... It's when someone you care about gives their time and attention to someone else, instead of you. And you want their time and attention for yourself. I think." He sat and thought. Did that sound right?  
  
"I see." Rei nodded. "I do not like the idea of you and Pilot Soryu sharing time and affection, because I would rather you shared them... " She blushed. "... with... with me."  
  
Shinji nodded. "And that's what makes me happy. It shows that you care. A-About me, I mean."  
  
She smiled gently at him, and replied, "Of course I care about you."  
  
Shinji could feel his heart dancing in his chest.  
  
Then she stopped smiling. "But Major Katsuragi said that Pilot Soryu was jealous."  
  
Ergh. "Uh... yeah..."  
  
"Which would mean that she wanted you to share time and affection with her, which would mean that she cares about you."  
  
He started to sweat a little. "Uh... I suppose..."  
  
Rei's mood was dropping visibly. He had to do something. "But... but Rei, that doesn't really matter to me. I'm only really happy that you care about me. Because... I c-care about you, too."  
  
He hesitantly reached out and gently took her hand. "I only w-want to share my time and affection with... y-you."  
  
She looked at him in slight surprise, before nodding. She squeezed his hand back gently, and smiled.  
  
Only you...  
  
TBC  
- xiphux  
  
20040826  
Whew... I drew a complete blank for over a year, and then one sleepless night, this popped into my head. Funny how that works... I just hope I haven't lost whatever touch I had for the previous chapters.  
  
There's more action and drama than sappy stuff this chapter, but hey... Asuka came back, what do you expect...?  
  
I can't take credit for the "footprint for a birthmark" line. I read it in some fic and thought it was hilarious, but I don't remember which fic.  
  
fanfiction(.)net now strips extraneous symbols, so my cool little scene break symbols aren't there, nor are the symbols I use to denote sound effects. So it doesn't look as cool as it will on my site.  



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